Florida deputies find 'extremely emaciated' dog, charge owner with animal cruelty

OKEECHOBEE, Fla - Florida deputies arrested a man for animal cruelty after his "extremely emaciated" dog was found chained in his yard with no food or water.

(Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office)

The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a starving dog at a home on Wednesday. When deputies arrived, they found the young dog chained outside.

"The dog was very emaciated, with all of his ribs showing," the sheriff's office said.

Deputies said the dog, nicknamed Frog, is about 2 years old and weighed just 33 pounds when he was rescued.

Video taken by the sheriff's office showed the little dog's spine, ribs and hip bones prominently protruding beneath his skin. But all the while, his tail was wagging.

"Happy to be rescued is an understatement," the sheriff's office said.

The pup was immediately taken to a veterinarian, who said Frog was "dehydrated, extremely emaciated and heartworm positive."

The little dog's owner, 26-year-old Bradley James Chism, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.