HERRIMAN, Utah — A Herriman was arrested on animal cruelty charges after allegedly leaving his puppy outside without food or water for five days during the hottest months in Utah history.
Cameron Hunter Toy, 19, was charged Friday after originally leaving his dog, Gus Gus, a 10-month-old border-collie mix, in a small kennel on his outdoor porch on May 31.
A Herriman police officer responded to Toy's apartment after dispatch received a call saying the dog had been found in a crate covered by a "sheet type blanket," according to the charging documents.
The caller said Toy previously told her he had moved the dog to the porch because it had been euthanized due to illness. However, the dog was found by the caller five days later on June 4 with no food or water. During the time Gus Gus was on the porch, northern Utah had experienced consecutive days of extremely high temperatures.
Gus Gus was taken by a group and cared for during the night before being taken to a veterinarian on June 5. The dog was in critical condition and was diagnosed with muscle wasting, severe kyphosis, severe irregular gait and was emaciated and dehydrated.
Toy changed his story when confronted by the group, saying the puppy had been seen by a vet and diagnosed with cancer, but that it had died and declared dead before being put out on the porch. An investigation later discovered that no veterinarian had ever treated the dog.
During an interview, Toy admitted to "lying about the medical care and stated he knew he should have taken better care of the animal." He said he was hardly home after starting a new job, requiring the dog to stay in a kennel.
When Toy came home on May 31, he said Gus Gus was not moving and put it out on the porch and covered the kennel with blankets and tires.
Toy claimed he was afraid to take the puppy to a vet because it would be discovered that he did not care for the animal.
