Hunter
08/11/21
A West Branch man has been charged with Animal Neglect after authorities found a dog licensed to him suffering in the heat.
According to the arrest report, a University of Iowa police officer found a gray male Pit Bull dog after 8:30 am Tuesday, tied up under the Hancher Foot Bridge on North Madison Street. At the time, the officer recorded a temperature of 90 degrees outside, with 77 percent humidity and a heat index of 111 on site. The dog was wearing a Rabies tag, which led authorities to the owner, 52-year-old Michael Beaver of West Branch.
The dog was in distress, laying on a blanket with an empty water dish nearby. While waiting for animal services, the dog staggered to the grass and began seizing. The animal was taken to an emergency hospital, where it was discovered the dog had renal failure and evidence of previous heat stroke exacerbated by the conditions Tuesday.
Beaver was arrested and booked into the Johnson County Jail early Wednesday. He’s been charged with Animal Neglect causing Injury, a serious misdemeanor punishable by a jail sentence of up to a year if convicted.