INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — When asked about a decomposing odor swirling around his home, a 51-year-old man told deputies he “thought it was the trash,” reports show.
Nathaniel Bryant
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
When deputies led Nathaniel Bryant to his backyard, he made a gruesome discovery – one of the dogs in his care was dead and in the advanced stages of decomposition, reports show. “Oh, the dog is dead,” Bryant shouted after finding the animal.
Deputies arrested Bryant, of the 3900 block of 47th Street, on a charge of cruelty to animals. Bryant was released Thursday from the Indian River County Jail on $25,000 bond.
An Indian River County deputy responded to a complaint of animal abuse about 5 p.m. Oct. 10 at Bryant’s home. The deputy immediately smelled the odor of decomposition after getting out of the patrol vehicle, reports show.
The deputy saw a dog stuck in a leash in a backyard on the west side of the home. The leash was tangled around a crate, limiting the dog’s ability to move, reports show.
As the smell of death grew stronger, the deputy walked about 20 feet south of the living dog. There, the deputy found the deceased second dog, which was tied to a rope affixed to a metal pole, reports show.
The second dog had a bowl containing a small amount of water and algae growth inside, officials said.
The deputy spoke with Bryant, who said the dogs belonged to his nephew. Bryant was looking after the dogs because his nephew was incarcerated, reports show.
The deputy led Bryant to the backyard, where Bryant freed the living dog from the leash. Bryant told the deputy he last fed the second dog about a week prior, the last time he saw the pet alive, reports show.
Bryant said he did not keep up with the second dog because of his diabetes, the grass in the backyard being tall and the bugs, officials said. Animal control responded to the scene and removed both dogs.
A necropsy will be performed on the second dog.
Deputies arrested Bryant and took him to the county jail. Bryant has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Dec. 6, court records show.
