Police Discover Starved Dog, Charge Coventry Man with Cruelty

COVENTRY, RI—Police said they recently responded to a town address for a report of an animal in distress when they found Lucky, a male Golden Retriever, severely malnourished.

The dog is now in the care of Coventry Animal Control officers, who are working to get him healthy and back to an ideal weight.

His owner, Sean O'Leary, is now facing an animal cruelty charge, according to police.

Police said in a news release that they responded to O'Leary's house on Sept. 3 after a complaint about the dog.

Witnesses said that they thought the house was abandoned and hadn't seen O'Leary for more than two weeks.

The dog was transported to an area animal hospital for an evaluation and "due to his poor body conduction and dehydration he was admitted to the hospital for treatment," police said.

O'Leary appeared in Kent County District Court on Thursday and was released on personal recognizance after pleading innocent to charges of mistreating animals, unnecessary cruelty to animals and not obtaining a rabies vaccination for the dog.

O'Leary is due to return to court on Sept. 28 for a pretrial conference.

For the dog, and thanks to Coventry Animal Control, Lucky's name is finally befitting.

Coventry Animal Control Officer Matthew McCormick said in an interview that Lucky is one of the worst cases of neglect he's seen in recent years. There was a pit bull found in similar condition last year, but that dog's abuser has never been found.

For Lucky, things are looking up. The dog has gained about a pound-and-a-half over the past four days.

"He's doing OK," McCormick said.

Police said it appears that Lucky was simply abandoned when O'Leary moved from his prior residence.

Now that Lucky's story is making the rounds, the town is expecting a torrent of interest about his fate. The dog is going to be put up for adoption once he's fully recovered.

"I'm sure it's going to be a huge list," McCormick said.

If anyone wants to inquire about the dog, police said to call Coventry Animal Control so they can get contact information.