Two Dogs Found Nearly Starved To Death In MWC

Wednesday, July 16th 2014, 10:56 pm

By: News 9

Warning: The pictures attached to this story and featured in the video are graphic.

The Midwest City police chief calls it the most "egregious" animal cruelty case his department has seen in a long time.

Two dogs are found locked in a cage and starving to death in a vacant apartment.

Both dogs were locked inside a cage together in their own filth and severely malnourished for what police believe could have been more than a month.

Police were called to Willow Creek Apartments Friday after the maintenance supervisor found two abandoned pit bull mixes in a vacant apartment.

Both were clinging to life. One worse off than the other.

“We were actually going to euthanize the small one, but as they got ready to do that, the little puppy started wagging its tail,” Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said.

Chief Clabes said in his more than 35 years in law enforcement he's never seen dogs this emaciated and still alive.

“And there was actually food and water in the apartment complex that they couldn't get to,” Clabes said.

The dogs were taken into custody by Midwest City Animal Welfare.

The puppy, maybe only a year old, can barely lift his head. Bones are clearly visible.

“It’s unfathomable that someone could do this to any living being,” said Cherokee Ballard, Vice President of The Bella Foundation.

The Bella Foundation is now stepping in to help.

“It can’t stand," said Ballard. "It had no body energy. It has no body muscle mass.”

We confronted the dog owner who moved to another apartment in the same complex after a fire.

Evan: Are you Corey Harrison?

Corey: Yeah.

Evan: Did you leave two dogs in a cage?

Corey: Those wasn’t my dogs.

Evan: Those wasn’t your dogs? What happened?

Corey: I’d Rather not talk about it.

Microchips confirm Corey Harrison is the dogs' owner. Police said Harrison told them he left the animals in his old apartment, because they needed to be bathed.

"I can’t imagine how you would sleep at night," said Ballard. "Even if they’re not someone’s dogs, how you would leave an animal locked in a cage with another animal in such bad shape with food five feet away.”

Harrison has not yet been arrested. Midwest City police are waiting on a warrant.