5 days ago
Decatur man accused of leaving dog tied to sewer grate in rainstorm
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A Decatur man is facing misdemeanor charges that include animal cruelty after police said his dog was found tied to a sewer grate in a driving rainstorm.
The dog was discovered at the Shell gas station on Wyckles Road Tuesday afternoon. Deputy Chief Scott Rosenbery said bystanders reported the dog and officers were dispatched to check on its welfare.
'When they arrived, they assessed the dog, about five months old, in basically knee-high (for the dog) water in the parking lot,' Rosenbery said. 'They cut the leash, got the dog out of the water.'
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Witnesses helped officers locate the dog's owner at the nearby America's Best Value Inn, where he was placed under arrest. Rosenbery identified him as Michael J. Thompson.
Court records indicate Thompson is 39 years old and from Decatur. He is facing a Class A misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and two Class B misdemeanor counts of abandoning his duties as an animal owner.
He appeared in court on Wednesday for arraignment and was granted pretrial release. Records show that, among other conditions of release, Judge Lindsey Shelton ordered that he not be the primary caretaker of any companion animal.
Thompson is due back in court on Sept. 23.
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