Police: Bradenton man’s cruelty to dog would have been ‘atrocity to a dead animal’

A Bradenton man was arrested at 5:51 p.m. Saturday and charged with abusing a 6-year-old German shepherd, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

Jerome K. Reek II, 31, in the 1000 block of 12th Street West, abused and neglected Zoey, who police said was tethered with a steel cable. Water given to Zoey in a food cooler was filthy and discolored with black debris floating in it, according to the report.

“The environment provided to the dog was greater than deplorable,” the report reads.

Police said Zoey’s ribs and back bone protruded from her thick skin and the dog also had sores throughout its body. The dog was taken by Animal Control to the DeSoto Animal Clinic.

“The cruel conditions and treatment given to this living dog would have been an atrocity to a dead animal,” the report reads.

Reek was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, according to the report. He was released Sunday from Manatee County jail on $1,500 bond, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office website.

Herald staff report

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Police: Bradenton man’s cruelty to dog would have been ‘atrocity to a dead animal’."