HOUSTON - Animal cruelty charges are pending against a Houston dog owner after the backyard pup was found dead while chained up with no water or shelter.
A picture of the dog was posted to social media and shared more than 600 times.
“This is animal cruelty because he didn’t have any way of living," said animal activist Robet Acuna.
When Acuna saw the post, he decided to do something.
“I saw it and checked the map. I was eight minutes away, so I decided just to go check it out there, and then because he didn’t look like he had any life in him," Acuna said.
When Acuna got to the home, he was the first to tell the homeowner about their pet.
“The dog was in the backyard, chained up to a small leash -- about four feet long -- to a post with no shade, no food, no water," Acuna said.
But by the time he got there, there was nothing he could do.
“I just couldn’t believe how the homeowner came back from the backyard, jokingly, like, ‘He’s gone.' I didn’t know how to react to it, so kind of kept it lighthearted. I didn’t want to create a tense situation," Acuna said.
A Facebook page, "Justice for Rocko," has since been created.
At the same time, Harris County Constable Precinct 1's Animal Cruelty Unit has launched an investigation, saying the dog most likely died from heat stroke.
“There was no other trauma to the dog. The dog was in good health, according to the owners beforehand, so we have no reason to believe that there is any other issue with it," said Sgt. Kaitlin Loewen with the Animal Cruelty Unit.
Sgt. Loewen says the dog did not have access to water or shelter, and its leash was too short.
The rules behind what’s legal are clear:
If your dog is in the back yard, it can be tied up, but the chain or rope must be at least 10 feet in length or five times the length of the dog.
Sgt. Loewen said, according to Texas Penal Code, the animal must have access to food, water, shelter and veterinary care.
She says unfortunately, this dog didn’t survive, but they see this a lot.
“People are not aware that they’re dog can have a heat stroke, even though it’s just 98 degrees outside," Sgt. Loewen said.
She says what’s even worse are animals locked in cars.
“Just how you wouldn’t leave a human in a hot car, you can’t leave dogs in a hot car, either. The heat rises very quickly. It might be 98 degrees outside, but it’s 120 in the vehicle," Sgt. Loewen said.
KHOU 11 News reached out to the owners of the dog. They say they do not want to be contacted anymore, but say they are not animal abusers and are grieving the loss of their family member.