Dog abandoned at beach and 'left to drown in rising tide'
Police officers have taken to social media to share the heartbreaking story of a dog allegedly tied up and left to drown by his owner.
A man has been charged after his dog was found chained to a steel pole and left to the “mercy of the next high tide” at an isolated part of a beach in Massachusetts.
Police who saved the dog, named Killer, with the help of a local kennel owner fear without their assistance he could have been submerged by rising water.
“During certain parts of the day this portion of the beach is completely submerged, with the tide rising as high as street level, past the point where the dog was chained,” they wrote on Facebook.
“The dog was at risk of drowning in a couple of hours if he hadn’t been found.”
While the male pit bull mix was taken into care at nearby Ocean View Kennels, police used video surveillance to track down the man who had taken him to the beach.
Three residential cameras captured a male suspect walking around a nearby apartment complex with the dog, while a fourth video shows the man walking to the beach.
Dog owner insists he didn’t think dog would die
Police later arrested 27-year-old Elais Pacheco-Osario in connection with the incident and charged him with animal cruelty.
They allege Mr Pacheco-Osario told them he abandoned the dog because he no longer wanted it.
He was bailed and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday (local time) in Chelsea District Court, according to CBSN Boston.
'I missed the entire forecast': Weather dog takes TikTok by storm
'Eyes rolling back': Shocking reason behind puppy's sudden sickness
In a brief discussion with reporters after his court appearance Mr Pacheco-Osario said he was sorry and insisted he never thought the dog was going to die as a result of his actions.
He said he had hoped someone would find the dog and take it into care, WCVB5 reported.
In a statement through an interpreter, Mr Pacheco-Osario told told NBC10 Boston he had tried to find a shelter to take the dog, but had been unsuccessful.
"I did it because my mind was overwhelmed and I didn’t know what to do," he said.
He returns to court in November.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
