Dog appears to be starving in front yard

McINTOSH, Ala. (WALA) - UPDATE: Tuesday, February 14: Washington County Sheriff's Deputies arrested James Samuel Newbill and charged him with animal cruelty. FOX10 News was on the scene when he was arrested.

Monday, February 13: A man who lives in Calvert, Alabama is speaking out about a dog that appears to be starving.

“The way the dog looks it’s just a pitiful sight; to sit right there by the highway and look at it,” said the man, who wishes to remain anonymous.

He said the dog is chained up in the yard and has been there more than a year.

“I’ve been noticing the dog for about two years and he has been sitting there about to starve to death,” said the neighbor. “In the summertime they don’t get any water. When it rains, they stay out in the cold. It’s just not good.”

He said this is not the first dog he has seen in such awful shape.

“I think something like two to three dogs have starved to death on that same chain right there in that same yard,” said the man.

The dog is chained up on the side of the yard with no food or water in sight. When the dog stands, you can clearly see the backbone and ribs.

Other dogs on the property look healthy, but neighbors say something needs to be done to save the dog's life.

“It's worse every day. I don’t even see how the dog can stand up,” the man said.

When asked about the dog, family members said the owner was not available.

Washington County does not have an animal control facility so Mobile County Animal Control was contacted.

Because the residence is not under Mobile County's jurisdiction, Washington County Sheriff's Office is conducting the investigation.

Deputy Chief Ferrell Grimes said officers went to the residence at 8:30 Tuesday morning. The dog was not found at the residence and no one was home.

Grimes said the sheriff's office is in the process of obtaining a warrant for animal cruelty.

The case is under investigation.

We will continue to follow and update the story as we receive more information.