A Northeast Bexar County home has become the site of an animal cruelty investigation after a delivery driver's report led to the discovery and rescue of five severely malnourished dogs. As KSAT reports, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrested 32-year-old Cedric Leonard Taylor on Wednesday, following a dayslong investigation into the welfare of the dogs at the property located in the 7800 block of Sarepto.
Acting on a delivery driver's June 25 complaint, Bexar County Animal Control conducted a welfare check at the home and discovered the dire conditions where the dogs' "visible rib and hip bones, signs of malnutrition, and no food or water in sight" became apparent, as the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post described. Taylor, acknowledging he was responsible for the dogs' care, claimed that worms had been the cause of their poor condition, but Taylor did not provide any evidence of treatment or proper care to the authorities as reported by KSAT.
In response to the findings of animal control, a seizure warrant was issued, and the authorities removed the dogs from the property. The animals are now under the care of Bexar County Animal Control, where they are receiving treatment for their poor condition, pending a hearing before the Bexar County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace, as per KTSA.
After posting bond early Thursday morning, Taylor has been charged with animal cruelty to non-livestock animals and is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on August 4. The specific relation between Taylor and the homeowner or the relative claimed to have been left in charge of the dogs has not been made clear by the BCSO, KSAT adds further. The rescued dogs, whose identities have not been disclosed, are held in anticipation of their future following the judicial procedures.
