The owner of a dog that police said was severely abused was arrested Tuesday.

Gaffney Code Enforcement Officer Dwayne Fowler charged William “Sleepy” Dean Smith, 47, of 107 Quint Court, Gaffney, with ill treatment to an animal, animal running at large and failure to inoculate for rabies. He was transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center.

“In cases of severe abuse, I’m going to sign arrest warrants and put people in jail,” Fowler said. “Fines aren’t enough. Something like that (the dog’s injuries) doesn’t happen overnight. That dog has been suffering for awhile.

“The dog was sweet, it never growled,” he continued. “While we were examining it’s neck, it tried to lick me.”

Fowler was called to the 200 block of Short Peeler Street at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday after a resident reported there was a vicious animal running around the neighborhood, a report at the Gaffney Police Department states. The officer found the brown dog hiding inside a mosquito net.

Fowler said he called for the animal and began petting it when it approached him and noticed a severe laceration on the dog’s neck.

The dog had a severely infected 2-inch cut around twothirds of its neck, Fowler said. The dog’s spine was visible and the injury likely severed the nerves and muscle tissue. The dog was euthanized because of its extensive injuries.

Residents in the area told Fowler the dog belonged to Smith.

Fowler found a chain covered in skin and hair matching the dog’s next to Smith’s home. There was food near the dog’s chain.

Fowler also determined the dog did not have a valid rabies vaccination, the report states.