A Hunt County man was arrested and charged with animal cruelty in connection with the abuse of seven dogs, officials said.
HUNT COUNTY, Texas — A Hunt County man was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after officials rescued 7 dogs that were allegedly abused.
The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jake Stephen Davis on May 27 and charged him with cruelty to non-livestock animals — torture, according to a press release from the SPCA. He is being held in the Hunt County Jail, the release states.
The arrest was in connection with a May 17 investigation involving the SPCA of Texas and Hunt County officials in response to a complaint from a concerned citizen, officials said.
Investigators rescued six dogs that were confined to pens with no access to food and small amounts of contaminated rainwater, the release states. A seventh dog was found nearby, tethered to a small wooden dog house with a bowl of contaminated water.
The SPCA provided water to all seven dogs and assessed their conditions, officials said. The dogs appeared to be in critical condition, and the SPCA seized the dogs out of concern they would not survive without immediate action, the release states. The dogs were taken to an SPCA facility for medical treatment.
“Our medical team continues to carefully assess each dog’s condition and provide the highest standard of care possible,” said Courtney Burns, unit chief investigator at the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations. “At the same time, our behavior team is patiently helping these dogs build trust through gentle socialization and compassion.”
Davis is currently being held on a $150,000 bond.