A Texas man was arrested over the weekend after his three dogs were left in kennels, one dead, through 100-degree temperatures without "adequate shade or water," said the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff's office said the Criminal Investigations Division arrested 38-year-old Levi Tenbrink after a welfare check was reported at a residence in the 200-Block of Fairview Lane.
"The dogs were in distress and showed signs of heat exhaustion," said the sheriff's office. "One of the dogs was deceased ... [and] had no water inside its kennel. The remaining dogs were panting heavily with little water made available."
Tenbrink, the owner, was out of town during the incident and told authorities that he had been searching for tarps to provide the dogs with shade but was unsuccessful.
The sheriff's office said he told authorities that he had left earlier that morning and gave them water before he left town.
"A concerned citizen who reported hearing the dogs barking and observed they were penned in direct sunlight had brought them water in a portable tub," said the sheriff's office.
It was determined that the dog that was found deceased died from "heat stroke and dehydration." Tenbrink was charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals.
"The remaining dogs were taken to a local veterinarian where they underwent treatment for heat exhaustion and dehydration," said the sheriff's office.
