Man Tied Dog To Rod, Left Him To Drown In Revere: MSP

REVERE, MA — A Revere man is facing an animal cruelty charge after leaving his dog chained to a steel rod at the edge of a beach, leaving him to the "mercy" of the next high tide, state police said.

Police and the owner of a Revere kennel rescued the dog, which was found Aug. 29 on the bottom of the ramp from Winthrop Parkway to Short Beach. Had the dog not been found, he could have been trapped underwater when the tide came in, police said.

Elias Pacheco-Osario, 27, was arrested Friday following a days-long investigation by state police. Investigators learned Pacheco-Osario was the owner of the 50-pound pit bull mix, which he had named "Killer," police said.

Pacheco-Osario told investigators he abandoned the dog on the beach after deciding he could no longer keep him, police said. The dog was left in a secluded part of the beach, close to the waterline, where he was chained to a piece of rebar with a heavy rock weighing the chain down, police said.

"During certain parts of the day this portion of the beach is completely submerged, with the tide rising as high as street level, past the point where the dog was chained," state police said in a statement. "The dog was at risk of drowning in a couple of hours if he hadn't been found."

Pacheco-Osario matched the description of the suspect and was seen on surveillance video walking the dog toward Short Beach and down the beach ramp to the sand, police said. In the videos, the dog had the same metal chain collar and leash that was found on him at the beach, police said.

Pacheco-Osario was charged with animal cruelty and released on $30 cash bail. He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Chelsea District Court.