Louisiana: Damion Daigle, 20, is accused of agreeing to pet sit for a friend and instead, starved the dog to death

LOUISIANA -- A Union Parish man has been arrested by sheriff’s deputies accused of letting a friend’s dog die from lack of nutrition.

Damion Bryant Daigle, 20, of 532 Loch Lomond Rd., Sterlington, was arrested May 2 and charged with simple cruelty to animals. He was released the same day from the parish detention center after posting bond of $1,500, Sheriff Dusty Gates said.

Gates said the investigation started in September when the dog’s owner reported it dead. The owner had to leave the dog at her estranged husband’s residence and he left town on his job leaving Daigle to care for the residence and dog.

Deputies advised the owner, Carla White, to have an autopsy performed on the dog. The results were recently returned showing the dog had heartworm disease but also suffered from severe malnutrition/starvation.

The autopsy showed there was no fecal material present in the rectum and the bladder was empty, indicating the dog had not received food or water several days prior to its death.

Daigle had claimed to deputies that he fed and watered the dog regularly and thought the dog had died from a snakebite.

(NBC 10 - FOX 14 - May 6, 2015)