An Auburn, Massachusetts was arraigned on Wednesday on animal cruelty charges.
Eric Hannon, 26, allegedly left his dog tethered to a pole in his basement overnight in February. When he returned home from New Hampshire, Hannon claimed that his basement had flooded and the dog was dead.
Hannon soon moved out of the home without telling anyone, leaving the dog behind.
"There was nothing left of the dog," Auburn Police Sgt. Scott Mills said.
Auburn police said Board of Health officials had gone to the home to investigae housing code violations in August and found the remains of the dog on a two-and-a-half foot leash with a prong choke collar near an empty food pail and water bowl. An animal control officer identified Hannon as the owner through the dog's microchip.
Investigators sent the dog's bones to experts, who said the animal's extremely low bone marrow content meant the dog actually starved to death -- going against Hannon's claim that the dog, named Athena, had drowned or been electrocuted.
Hannon is due back in court on Dec. 6.
