Fort Pierce man accused of animal cruelty after dog found chained and 'severely emaciated'

FORT PIERCE— A local man is accused of mistreating a dog named "Boo" to the point where the dog had to be euthanized because of his poor condition.

Jackie Cloe, 61, of the 1000 block of Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Pierce was arrested Friday on a charge of animal cruelty. Information about the arrest was available Tuesday.

Fort Pierce police officers said they were called Dec. 8 to Cloe's home after a neighbor said Boo was being abused.

Police said when they arrived at Cloe's home, they found Boo severely emaciated and dehydrated with severe muscle wasting and a heavy industrial-style chain around his neck where his flesh had begun to grow over. 

Based on Boo's condition, officers said the dog was taken to an animal hospital where a veterinarian decided the dog should be euthanized.

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Cloe and two others were at the home when officers arrived. 

In January, officers submitted an arrest warrant for Cloe, but an assistant state attorney assigned to the case declined the warrant because of lack of sufficient evidence.

In July and August, the prosecutor ordered additional information on the case including the police officer's body camera footage related to the case, additional interviews of the two people at the home the day officers found Boo and all documentation from Fort Pierce Animal Control regarding the dog.

Police said they were able to locate one man, but not the other that was at the home the day police were called to check up on the dog.

The man officers spoke to told police Cloe never took the dog to get medical help and would call his friends to try and cut the industrial metal chain off of the dog's neck.

A warrant was issued for Cloe's arrest and he was arrested Friday.

Cloe was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail, where he was later released on $3,500 bail.

If convicted of animal cruelty, a person can spend up to 12 months in jail and face a maximum fine of $5,000.

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Sara Marino is a TCPalm breaking news reporter  covering Martin County. You can reach Sara on Twitter @saradmarino or email her at Sara.Marino@tcpalm.com. If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest breaking news.