CRESTWOOD, Mo. – Neighbors in Crestwood are calling on St. Louis County Animal Care & Control to do more after video surfaced of a dog left in unsafe conditions. It happened last Thursday, on a day when temperatures soared into the upper 90s.

The post with the video in question has been viewed thousands of times on a neighborhood page. It shows a young dog named Bullet with its neck chained tightly in a Crestwood backyard, in a position where it appeared his breathing may have been obstructed.

Charles Sliger and his fiancé Laura Foht live close by. They said they’ve witnessed similar distressing situations involving the dog’s treatment, but that Thursday was the final straw.

“It’s extremely hard to watch that dog gasping for air,” Foht said.

Another neighbor called police, who arrived along with animal control, according to Sliger. They seized the dog but returned it to its owner the following day. Sliger said he’s still disturbed by what he saw.

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“He had blood all over his tongue; it was terrible. He was dehydrated,” he said. “With the weather the way it was, if he had gone several more hours, he wouldn’t be around. Because his owner wasn’t at the house.

Animal control came by again Wednesday while FOX 2 was there. It did not appear they took custody of the dog this time. A spokesperson provided us with the following statement regarding last Thursday’s incident:

“We share the neighbor’s concern about this situation and are committed to serving our community. We are thoroughly investigating the case and will take appropriate action as needed.”

Foht said their response doesn’t cut it for her.

“It’s like, why would I let you know if you’re not going to do anything?” she said.

The dog’s owner did not want to go on camera but spoke with FOX 2. As of Wednesday night, he has not been charged, so we are not naming him. He accused his neighbors of photo-shopping the video and said he takes good care of his dog.

A Crestwood Police Department detective said Tuesday that he expects charges will be filed against the dog’s owner.

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