Griffin man arrested twice in 3 days on animal cruelty charges

A neighbor first tipped Griffin police off to four dogs in 35-year-old Courtney Thomas'??backyard.

A Griffin man was arrested on animal cruelty charges twice in three days after a dog in his care was so badly injured that it had to be euthanized, authorities said.

Police were called to the home of 35-year-old Courtney Thomas after a neighbor discovered a pit bull mix with bad injuries to its face caged in the man’s backyard, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The dog was missing part of its mouth and cheeks and the wound was so infected that the pet had to be put down, authorities said.

A Georgia man faces felony animal cruelty charges after a dog he kept in his backyard suffered injuries so severe that it had to be put down.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

“He had no choice but to show his teeth because he didn’t have any teeth or gums,” the neighbor who alerted police to the dog’s condition told the news station.

She said the man kept four dogs in his backyard.

Thomas was arrested Saturday and then rearrested Monday on felony animal cruelty charges. It wasn’t clear why he was arrested twice, so AJC.com has reached out for more information.

“It makes you mad,” Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates said, adding that even more charges against Thomas are possible. “That may not be all. We’ve got a couple other things we’re looking into.”

Thomas remains in the Spalding County jail, records show.

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