Owner charged with felony neglect after asking animal control to euthanize his dog

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT/Gray News) - A Nebraska man is facing a felony charge after he called animal control to euthanize a dog in his care that was found to be suffering from severe neglect.

Steve Glandt, the vice president of field operations with the Nebraska Humane Society, described the case of neglect to WOWT.

“This case depicts a person that should never have owned an animal; someone that left a pet who is solely dependent on him to suffer through unimaginable conditions,” he said.

WARNING: Some may find the details of this story to be graphic.

The humane society said on Thursday they received a call from Terrance Feairs on Feb. 26 to have his 3-year-old dog euthanized.

When the animal control officer responded to the call, Glandt said he thought the dog had already died. However, it was still alive.

The officer said the dog had numerous sores all over his body and was so emaciated that it could be seen from a distance.

“The animal control officer described the dog in his report as a ‘skeleton with skin draped on it,’ " Glandt said.

The dog was immediately taken in for emergency care, but care providers determined the best course of action was to humanely euthanize the dog because he had developed sepsis after digesting foreign bodies and was suffering numerous other conditions that prevented his recovery, according to Glandt.

Animal control also called the dog’s living conditions “deplorable.” The dog was apparently confined to a restricted area where it would eat, sleep, defecate and urinate.

Feairs reportedly said the animal had been in very poor health for a year and a half. He also admitted that he had not taken the animal to a veterinarian.

“Feairs said he had bought the dog approximately three years ago and still had not named it,” Glandt said. “When asked what sex the dog was, Feairs said that he would have to look.”

Officials say Feairs was cited for not having a pet license or proof of the dog’s vaccination as well as cruelty to animals, and public nuisance due to unsanitary conditions.

After the humane society reviewed the case, the cruelty charge was upgraded to a count of animal neglect or cruelty resulting in injury or death.

Feairs was in court on Thursday afternoon and was released on his own recognizance. He is not allowed to have any animals at his house.

His preliminary hearing is set for April 24.

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