ANADARKO — A Caddo County man is free on $5,000 bond after he was hit with 10 animal cruelty charges for abandoning his dogs during recent freezing temperatures without food, water or adequate shelter, investigators said.
Billy Michael Freeman, 40, of Anadarko, made his initial appearance Friday in Caddo County District Court where he received 10 felony counts of cruelty to animals, records indicate. Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Anadarko Police Officer Jeff Butler stated he was called by an Animal Welfare officer on Feb. 21 to 313 W. Mississippi where three dogs were seen chained up in the backyard without access to food, water or adequate shelter. The temperature four days prior ranged from 28 to 6 degrees with wind chills reaching -20 degrees one day, Butler stated.
A neighbor said there were at least six dead puppies near the shed on Feb. 20 and the Animal Welfare officer told Butler he’d issued six citations and had spoken to Freeman multiple times regarding food and shelter for the animals the past year, the probable cause affidavit states. Since 2019, Freeman has been cited 12 times for dog-related offenses, according to Butler.
“Upon arrival I observed a brown and white dog chained up. … the dog’s spine and ribs were visible through its fur,” Butler stated. “There were no food or water bowls anywhere in the backyard.”
Eight small puppies were discovered in a dilapidated doghouse covered with a large piece of carpet and all were shivering and had no immediate access to food or water and the temperature was 23 degrees, the affidavit states. The puppies were taken by Animal Welfare and the brown dog was also taken later after Freeman came to the house and trapped her.
Freeman was arrested. He told Butler he’d fed the dogs the night before and was on his way to buy food when the police arrived, Butler stated. Freeman told another officer “I’ll plead guilty” and said he hadn’t lived at the home for about a year, and he was keeping the dogs there as “guard dogs” because he stores his things at the home, according to the affidavit.
Freeman returns to court at 9 a.m. April 25 for his preliminary hearing conference, records indicate.
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