Deputies went looking for a former Gwinnett County resident after finding a dog locked in a closet inside his abandoned home.
The dog was found emaciated and covered in its own waste in July. Authorities believe the animal was locked inside the closet, which appeared to be just 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep, for two weeks before being discovered.
The dog’s owner, identified as Jerry Robinson Jr., was arrested Thursday after a Gwinnett sheriff’s deputy tracked him to a mobile home in Virginia. Deputies worked with local authorities in Carroll County, Virginia, to take the man into custody without incident.
“We hope this arrest is the start to a better future for this dog,” the Gwinnett agency said Tuesday on Facebook. “He's endured more hardship than any dog should. We're glad he survived it.”
The sheriff’s office shared the dog’s story and photos July 15. Deputies C. Choi and K. Gunter, both assigned to the civil division, found the dog during a routine check at an abandoned home. He was left with a water bowl and what appeared to be several packages of raw meat. Only the yellow foam trays remained, some of them chewed to pieces.
The tiled closet was filthy. What appeared to be scratches and claw marks stretched halfway up the walls. Without the intervention of deputies, authorities said the closet “would have become his coffin.”
“There’s no reason to ever leave any animal abandoned in an empty space,” the sheriff’s office said. “Our county has an animal shelter with caring animal lovers who do their best to help every animal in their care.”
In the weeks since, the dog has been improving at the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter. He has been gaining weight and doing well, according to authorities.
With Robinson’s arrest, the dog is expected to be available for adoption.
Robinson will be extradited to Georgia to face charges of animal cruelty, authorities said.
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