PALM COAST, Fla., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A Florida man was arrested and charged with child neglect after leaving a 10-month-old in the care of a dog while he went to a bar.

Flagler County sheriff's deputies said the infant's mother left the child in the care of James Irvine, 41, while she went to work, and she returned to her Palm Coast home to discover Irvine was attempting to enter the home through a garage door and admitted he had been out drinking, WESH-TV, Orlando, reported Wednesday.


The mother said Irvine told her the infant was not alone because a pit bull was watching him.

Deputies said the dog was sitting outside the closed door of the baby's room as the baby cried.