Bellefonte man charged with animal cruelty after dog found dead in State College
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Michael A. Wright faces felony charges after dog found dead in vacant apartment.
- Veterinarian cited starvation as cause of death with severely depleted fat levels.
- Wright released on $10,000 unsecured bail; preliminary hearing set for Wednesday.
A Bellefonte man was charged Saturday with aggravated animal cruelty after his dog was found dead in the locked basement of a vacant State College apartment.
Michael A. Wright, 51, was also charged with a felony count of criminal trespassing and a misdemeanor count of animal neglect.
The landlord of an uninhabitable property along the 500 block of North Burrowes Street contacted State College police in April, saying a dog was left unattended in a vacant apartment. He said Wright was a former building tenant and employee.
A borough police officer said in an affidavit of probable cause that plastic dog food and water bowls had mold growing from them. There was a strong smell of urine and dozens of piles of feces in the basement, she wrote.
She also said there were chew marks along the window, shades and the inside framing of the door. A cane corso and pitbull mix named Harlem was found under a blanket. A licensed veterinarian at VCA Metzger’s Animal Hospital said the 3-year-old dog, which was identified by its microchip, died “some time ago,” police wrote.
A veterinarian pathologist listed Harlem’s cause of death as starvation due to external factors. Her bone marrow fat content was 4.6%, police wrote. A normal range is 63% to 100%. Below 20% is considered emaciated.
Wright was released Saturday by District Judge Casey McClain, who set bail at $10,000 unsecured. No defense lawyer was listed and the Centre County Public Defender Office said it was not representing him as of Monday morning. A message left at a phone number listed for Wright was not immediately returned.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.