Springfield man accused of leaving dog to die

A Springfield man has been charged with two counts of cruelty to animals after police alleged they found a dead dog in his father’s home last week.

Michael Thompson, 37, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Clark County Municipal Court on Thursday, Jan. 11. His bond was set at $3,500. He remained in the Clark County Jail as of Friday afternoon.

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Springfield firefighters were called to a home in the 900 block of West Rose Street just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, for a report of pipes bursting in the home, according to a Springfield Police Division report.

From the smell of the home, crews believed something was dead inside, the report says, and found a dead dog curled up on a couch in the house’s living room.

The dog, a blue pit bull, allegedly appeared malnourished, according to the report, and officers guessed that the dog had been deceased for a day or two.

The house allegedly also was littered with trash and feces, the report says.

As crews were still searching the property and turning off the water, Thompson walked into the house’s open front door, the report says.

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According to the report, Michael Thompson reportedly told police that the house and the dog belonged to his father, Harold Thompson, who had been in a nursing home for six months due to medical conditions.

Michael Thompson “did not seem to be bothered” by seeing the dead dog on the couch, the report says.

The suspect denied living in the home, police alleged, but officers claimed they found recent mail in the kitchen with Michael Thompson’s name on it. Michael Thompson also had a key to the house, and fire crews had seen him at the house before when responding to calls for his father, the report states.

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Police attempted to contact Harold Thompson at the nursing home but officers weren’t permitted to speak to him over the phone, according to the report.

The dog didn’t have any collar or identification, and police didn’t find any registration, according to the report.

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