Cruelty, abandonment of dogs has Elgin man wanted

An Elgin man is wanted for allegations he abandoned 21 dogs, leaving them in need of veterinary care.

On Friday, the Comanche County District Court issued a felony arrest warrant for Cody Dylan Tan, 31, for counts of cruelty to animals and abandonment of animals, records indicate.

Comanche County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Merritt stated Tan was served with a vacate notice on May 26 and left the property under escort, abandoning five adult and 16 puppies in the home. They were considered to be in dire need of vet care and showed signs of neglect, the warrant affidavit states. The home was covered with feces and urine on the floor and the animals showed signs of being deprived of food, water, ample living space and vet care, according to the detective.

Lawton Animal Welfare collected the dogs and took them back to its shelter for evaluation, offering to board the dogs for a couple of days if Tan would report to the facility and collect them while reimbursing for the boarding, Merritt stated. He failed to report.

Three days after arrival, one female dog gave birth to six live puppies. Four died shortly afterwards, the affidavit states. All the dogs needed medical treatment and additional pups were lost during treatment, Merritt stated.

A $25,000 cash warrant bond was issued upon Tan’s arrest.