A man accused of neglecting three dogs in a Winlock barn he was squatting in, resulting in the death of one of the dogs, has been charged with first-degree animal cruelty in Lewis County Superior Court.
The man, Dylan M. House, 21, is accused of moving into a barn on a Winlock property “without (the owners’) knowledge or permission” and leaving three dogs alone inside without regular access to food or water for long periods of time.
The property owners contacted law enforcement about the situation on March 9 after they “saw one of the dogs on the floor of the barn, and it appeared to be dead,” according to court documents.
House hadn’t been seen by the property owners for about a month prior, but the property owners said “they believed he comes and goes during the night.”
A deputy who searched the barn at about 7:45 p.m. on March 9 reportedly found the three dogs inside, one of which was dead.
The dead dog, a male husky, was reportedly “tied to a lead that stretched approximately 15 feet across the barn” and had one paw near its collar “as if the dog was suffocating when it passed away,” according to court documents. The husky also reportedly had a preexisting injury on one leg and had feces in its fur.
The other two dogs, both black labs, were alive inside the barn. One of the labs was tied up while the other was free, according to court documents.
The deputy noted “it was hard for (him) to walk anywhere inside the barn without stepping in feces, and the dogs appeared to be living in it.”
The deputy found several bowls in the barn but noted “none contained food or water.”
When contacted by a deputy, House reportedly showed the deputy “to his bedroom area of the barn,” where he had a large bag of dog food and one gallon of water.
House allegedly “agreed with (the deputy) that it appeared the husky got tangled in his leash and suffocated,” noting “he was here to feed the dogs last night and the husky was fine.”
The injury on the husky’s leg, House said, “was from weeks ago when (House) found (the husky) tangled in one of the other dogs’ chains,” according to court documents.
House was charged with one count of first-degree animal abuse in Lewis County Superior Court on March 23 and was issued a court summons for an April 11 preliminary hearing, which was delayed until April 18.
House was present for that April 18 hearing, where a judge allowed him to remain out of custody on $10,000 unsecured bail.
The judge also issued a provision to House’s conditions of release prohibiting him from keeping any animals until the case is resolved.
House’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for Thursday, May 4.
