Tennessee: Jonathan Taylor, 30, abandoned his dogs - locked inside a crate together - to die

TENNESSEE -- Responding to an animal complaint at 205 Doyle St. in Dyersburg on Jan.19, members of the Dyersburg Police Department as well as a Dyer County Animal Control officer discovered three dogs left unattended inside the residence.

After making entry, it was discovered two of the three dogs left together inside one crate were deceased.

The DPD learned Jonathan Taylor, 30, had reportedly rented the residence the past several months, but had not been seen in some time and had left the dogs inside the residence unattended prior to leaving.

As a result of the investigation, Taylor, with a listed address of 300 Martin Luther King in Dyersburg, was located by the DPD on Jan.29 and charged with three counts of animal cruelty.

The crate housing the dogs was approximately two feet high, three feet wide, and four feet in length. The living dog appeared malnourished but not to the extent of the two dead puppies.

Animal Control took the living dog and the dead puppies were photographed before being removed as well. All three puppies were taken to a local veterinarian to have them examined.

It was estimated that the puppies had been dead approximately two days and said that both were infested with roundworms and hookworms in addition to severe malnourishment.

In City Court on Monday, Feb. 2, Taylor's case was continued until Monday, Feb.14 at 4 p.m.

(State Gazette - February 3, 2015)