Mesa man arrested for heat related dog death

A 40 year old Mesa man has been arrested by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies on animal cruelty charges in the death of the man’s pit bull.

Deputies determined that Brian Womack of 9833 East Birchwood Avenue in Mesa failed to provide adequate shelter and water for his one and a half year old male pit bull, ‘Bishop.’ The dog was found by deputies dead, chained up in the Womack’s yard where there was no shade or water in temperatures nearing 110 degrees.

Still, Womack insisted that his dog died because a neighbor poisoned it. Deputies removed the animal and took it for examination by a local veterinarian who determined the true cause of death to be extreme heat exhaustion.

Per Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s policy, Womack was arrested and booked into jail yesterday.

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