A Tucson man whose dog died after he left it outside with no water in 115-degree heat was sentenced Wednesday to three years of unsupervised probation.
Phil Carreon, 37, was cited in June for two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, but pleaded guilty to one count in Tucson City Court, in exchange for prosecutors dropping the second.
The court also levied a $1,500 fine against Carreon, suspending $750 of it. As a condition of his sentence, Carreon is not allowed to own any animals and must attend the Southern Arizona Humane Society Animal Cruelty Prevention course within 60 days, according to court documents.
On June 27, police went to a home after receiving a 911 call that two dogs had been left behind in a vacant home, according to the Tucson Police Department incident report.
The 911 caller told police that he’d noticed a strong odor “like something dead” coming from the empty house a few days before and had gone over to find one of the dogs dead, the report said.
The second dog, who was malnourished, dehydrated and had a tick infestation on her face, was taken to a local vet after the 911 caller cleaned her up, according to the report.
When police spoke to Carreon, he said he had lived in the house for two years but had moved out five or six weeks ago. He told officers that he’d been coming back to the house to check on the dogs, but had gone to Phoenix for the weekend, leaving the dogs outside. When he returned home, he found one of the dogs dead in the laundry room, according to the report.
When police spoke to the 911 caller, he said no one had been at the house for at least five days and no food or water had been left for the dogs, according to the report.
Police told Carreon that his second dog was at the vet, but he said he didn’t want the dog, who has since been adopted by another family.
If Carreon fails to complete the animal cruelty prevention course by Nov. 22, he will have to pay an additional $750 fine.
