A Riverview man who said he couldn't afford veterinary care for his dog was jailed today on felony animal cruelty charges.
His dog was in such bad shape, authorities say, that it had to be euthanized.
The 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever had been suffering for months, said Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan.
Israel Licor, 32, of 6901 Mathers Lane, was released from jail this morning after posting $2,000 bail, jail records show.
Ryan said Licor called animal services last week and said he had found a stray dog with an open wound on one leg and that it needed medical attention. Two days later, the dog was brought in and put to sleep.
An investigation revealed that Licor had owned the dog, named Yellow, for four years and had taken it to a veterinarian in April to remove a growth on its leg and never returned for follow-up visits. The incision had festered, Ryan said.
On July 22, he took the dog to the veterinarian and was told there were two alternatives: amputation or euthanasia, Ryan said. He was given a prescription for pain medication.
There was no follow-up visit, and he did not get the pain medication, Ryan said.
Two days later he called animal services, she said. He eventually told officers he could not afford to have the dog treated.
"He stated that he had already missed one truck payment and he wasn't going to miss another," Ryan said. "If you can't afford it, you can't afford it, but don't let the animal suffer for all these months."
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