Little Rock animal lovers are looking for answers after discovering a dog they say starved to death

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock animal lovers are demanding answers from the city after discovering a dead dog in the city, and say animal control was called days before.

According to Charity Tarr and Lindsay Idom, the situation started with Facebook. They discovered a post on the NextDoor app by a man who saw a starving dog chained up in someone’s backyard in Little Rock. The dog was skin and bones.

Idom said a man called animal control on Oct. 12 to report a starving dog chained up in the yard and was unable to make contact with the owner.

“I kind of had a sick feeling watching the first video of the dog,” Tarr said.

Four days later, Idom discovered a dead dog in the same place. She said animal control showed up after the dog was already dead.

A spokesman for the Little Rock Animal Village said they have no record of the call that came in on Oct. 12, although Idom and Tarr claim the call was made.

The spokesman also did not specify the cause of the dog’s death and said it would depend on the autopsy, although Tar and Idom are sure the dog starved.

“This was such a traumatic death … knowing that this dog stayed cool probably in the rain,” Tarr said.

Both Tarr and Idom rescue dogs for local nonprofits. Both said it was one of the worst situations they had ever seen.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be walking a starving dog,” Idom said. “The thought that they called for help and it came too late was heartbreaking.”

Tarr said she filed a police report after learning the dog had died in a man’s yard. According to the report, the man claimed he did not know the dog was there and was not arrested.

Meanwhile, a city spokesman said the Department of Animal Services is investigating the case pending autopsy results.

The women who helped this dog are asking everyone to report any animal neglect they see not only to animal control, but to the police and local non-profit rescue organizations. Tarr and Idom, who mostly work for Southern Hearts Animal Rescue, said they are happy to rescue any neglected or unwanted dogs in the area.