China Grove man charged with animal cruelty

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 19, 2013

Law enforcement charged a China Grove man with not providing proper care for his dogs after someone called in a complaint about the condition of the animals. The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Christopher Lee Little, 24, of the 1300 block of Brookwood Drive, with two counts misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
A deputy went to a home where Little was trying to retrieve a dog collar from a dog he initially claimed didn’t belong to him. The dog, a Bluetick Coonhound, was underweight, its bones clearly visible, and it could barely move. The officer gave the dog water and went to Little’s home where he found another underweight dog.
The second dog, a brown and white Walker Coonhound, was behind the house and also looked malnourished. The dog was in a pen with moldy dog food and what appeared to be rain water. Both dogs could barely walk, the officer noted in his report.
A Rowan Animal Control officer was also called to the scene to remove the dogs. The deputy wanted to see if the man’s child had similar neglect. The child’s mother showed officers inside the home. The child, a 3-year-old seemed to be in good health, but the house was not clean. Rowan County Social Services was called to look into the matter.
Little was a issued a $2,500 secured bond and has since been released from the Rowan County Detention Center.