Police took the dog who had wandered onto a property of a Suncook Valley residence on Feb 25. Members of the Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty (CAVES) in Concord took the dog, naming him Barney.
Police investigated the incident while Barney lived at the Pope Memorial SPCA.
On March 1, police discovered that George Hodgman of Barnstead was the custodial caretaker of Barney, later identified as a 13-year-old mix dog named Storm.
During the investigation, police found out that Storm weighed 67.8 pounds as of February of 2016 according to Storm's veterinarian North Side Animal Hospital in Hooksett. Hodgman gained custody of him in early May of 2016.
Police arrested Hodgman, charging him with three counts of animal cruelty.
Storm started to gain weight and appeared to be recovering while at Pope Memorial Hospital. However, he soon began to suffer from seizures, mental decline and began to lose the ability to digest his food. Storm died on March 29.
"He was an amazing companion who a brought joy, as he was battling for his survival," said staff members of the Pope Memorial SPCA.
(NH1 - April 3, 2017)
