SALISBURY, NY — A Herkimer man has been arrested on a felony animal cruelty charge following the death of a dog in October.
Dillon G. Ortlieb, 27, of Herkimer, was arrested Dec. 10 by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation out of State Police Herkimer and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony.
State Police were dispatched to Mechanic Street in Salisbury at approximately 9:17 p.m. Oct. 25 for a domestic incident.
When troopers arrived at the residence, they observed a deceased dog on a kitchen countertop with drying blood coming from in and around its mouth.
The dog was identified as a 3-year-old female Maltese Yorkshire Terrier.
An investigation revealed that Ortlieb and the dog’s owner had gotten into a verbal dispute, and the owner left the residence.
When the owner returned, the dog was found dead inside its kennel.
The owner transported the dog to Cornell University Animal Hospital for a necropsy.
Results indicated intracranial hemorrhage and intraocular/periocular hemorrhage of the right eye consistent with blunt force trauma.
Ortlieb was issued an appearance ticket returnable Dec. 18 at the town of Salisbury Court at 3:00 p.m.
