Man charged with animal cruelty after one dog found dead, another severely injured

A Bradenton man told investigators he had been caring for two dogs before one was found dead and another severely injured.

Daniel Conrad Gleason Jr., was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of animal cruelty and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from the Manatee County jail on bonds totaling $11,500.

Manatee County Animal Services officers were called to respond to the 2100 block of 47th Avenue Drive West in Bradenton after receiving a call from a neighbor reporting there may be dead animals in Gleason’s backyard, according to a probable cause affidavit. Officers were able to see a dead dog carcass and an injured basset hound from the neighbor’s yard.

The neighbor and the officers could smell a strong order coming from Gleason’s home.

When officers went to Gleason’s home and asked him for access to the backyard because of the dog in distress, he asked officers to wait and went back inside, the officers reported.

The officers called the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to assist them. After deputies arrived and the officers still couldn’t get a response from Gleason, the Animal Services officers broke down a portion of the privacy fence in order to get into the backyard.

The officers took the injured female basset hound, Gabby, and the carcass of a tan colored cockapoo, Scruffy, that was in advanced stages of decomposition.

When deputies were able to speak with Gleason, he told them that the dogs belonged to his boss but admitted to being responsible for taking care of them since his boss moved away.

“Mr. Gleason said he has been feeding and caring for these two dogs everyday for several months but did not notice that one had died and the other was injured,” one officer stated in the affidavit.

Gleason also claimed not to have noticed the smell, which officers said was noticeable from the driveway and even stronger from the neighbor’s yard.

No proof that either dog had been under the care of a veterinarian could be provided by Gleason to the officers, they also noted.

Animal Services officers were able to reach the dog’s owner by phone, and he confirmed he had left his dogs with Gleason when he moved away and that he had not seen the dogs since January or February. The owner, however, said he had stopped by two days before and didn’t see the dogs, and Gleason told him he had sold them on Craigslist.

The case was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review. On Friday, a judge issued a warrant for Gleason’s arrest.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Man charged with animal cruelty after one dog found dead, another severely injured."