PARKER COUNTY — A Springtown man was recently arrested by Parker County sheriff’s deputies following an investigation into animal cruelty.
According to a PCSO press release, deputies responded to a welfare check of a dog reported to be sick and neglected at a residence off W. State Highway 199, where animal control officers observed an adult Pitbull mix to be severely emaciated with liquid oozing from its mouth.
Deputies made contact with the owner, James Vernon Johnson, 45, who reported “Brandi” was “healthy” before suffering a seizure a month before, and had stopped eating the week before.
Johnson willingly surrendered the animal, according to the sheriff’s office, and the dog was taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. There, the vet reported the dog was suffering a “high level of pain” due to a mouth infection as well as malnutrition and extensive medical issues, resulting in the need for humane euthanasia. The vet’s report also noted the dog’s body condition as one on a nine-point scale, with muscle and body fat loss attributed to not being fed properly for a prolonged period.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Johnson at his home on Feb. 15, on the cruelty to a non-livestock animal charge. Jail records showed Johnson posted a $5,000 bond two days later.