Michael E. Holbert of state Highway 80 in Sherburne came to the attention of troopers and investigators at the Norwich State Police station with assistance from animal rights activists, including the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, police said.
The initial tip stemmed from a social media post regarding the dog’s exposure to the freezing cold. State Police said they were then alerted, and Sherburne’s animal control officer, Rick Crowell, became involved in the inquiry.
Crowell told The Daily Star that Holcomb’s story about what happened to the dog changed at least twice.
“I tried working with that guy,” Crowell said. “But he just lied to my face about everything.”
Holbert, he said, first insisted the dog had been hit by a car, but then said the dog “passed out,” Crowell said. The carcass of the dog was left in a snow bank, with Holbert indicating he planned to bury the animal once the snow receded, he added.
Holbert said he did not know the dog’s name, but believed it had belonged to Holbert’s estranged wife.
State Agriculture and Markets Law requires that people provide adequate food, water and shelter to their animals, and prevent them from being “unjustifiably injured,” State Police said.
Crowell, noting he became Sherburne’s animal control officer within the past year, said he now wants to become a cruelty investigator and create a 501-C-3 nonprofit status so he can begin an animal shelter on his property.
The cold snap that has gripped the Northeast has kept the region with dangerously low temperatures for days. Liz Mackey, director of the Susquehanna Animal Shelter, just south of Cooperstown, said dogs and cats “should not be outside for any length of time” amid the freezing weather.
(The Daily Star - Feb 20, 2015)
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