Police say dog had starved to death, owner cited

ARLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Vermont State Police who found a dead dog in a barn during a burglary investigation say the animal had starved to death.

Police have cited 47-year-old Rick Thompson of Arlington on an animal cruelty charge. They responded to his home on April 6 investigating a break-in involving a woodstove when they found the dog.

Thompson said the dog had passed due to kennel cough. A veterinarian examined the dog and said it had starved to death.

It wasn’t immediately known if Thompson had a lawyer.