A Starkville man has been found guilty of animal cruelty and sentenced to jail time after starving a dog.
David Amos Williams, 25, was sentenced to 30 days in the Oktibbeha County Jail by Municipal Court Judge Rodney Faver on Monday for abusing an adult greyhound on or about Feb. 28 after he pleaded guilty in Municipal Court.
The Starkville Police Department arrested Williams for the animal cruelty charge on March 1.
SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said law enforcement was notified of the abuse by a concerned citizen who saw the animal.
Williams was accused of abusing and mistreating the dog by allowing it to become severely thin or weak, dehydrated and malnourished, according to court documents provided to the Starkville Daily News after a public records request.
The incident took place at an apartment on East Garrard Road.
The documents also showed the dog had a lack of appetite after two weeks as of Feb. 28 and a witness said the dog "could not stand on its own will."
During Williams' court appearance Monday, a representative from SPD Animal Control said Williams surrendered the dog to a local animal shelter, saying he was moving and the animal was too old to make the trip.
Williams said he attempted to feed the dog, but it did not have an appetite.
Faver said he saw the pictures and asserted there was no way Williams attempted to feed the dog.
“It’s not a matter of if you’re going to jail, but for how long,” Faver told Williams from the bench.
After veterinarians cared for the dog for three days, it died after its kidneys shut down.