A Waterloo man has been arrested after a dog died of emaciation and severe dehydration in August, according to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. 25 year old Joseph Harrell was arrested on Monday and charged with first offense Animal Torture. Animal Control officers were called to an apartment building at 1306 W. Donald Street on August 19th on a report of dog in poor health. When they arrived on scene they found the dog behind the building barely breathing, covered in urine and feces with its ribs and hip bones exposed and sores on its body. Veterinarians were unable to save the dog, which had to be euthanized. Harrell initially told police that he found the dog in that condition after it came out of a nearby field. Police found a feces smeared dog kennel in a dumpster at the apartment complex and body cam footage from an earlier police visit showed the dog in that kennel in April. Neighbors told police that they heard the dog cry when Harrell hit it. Harrell allegedly eventually backed off his story of finding the dog and admitted to becoming upset with the dog because it continually urinated and defecated in the kennel. Harrell’s bond has been set at $7,000.
