Staff reports

A Sulphur man has been arrested for aggravated cruelty to animals after leaving a dog to die locked in a residence he hadn’t checked on for weeks.

Sulphur Police Capt. Jason Gully said officers were dispatched to a home on Fasske Street on Thursday after being told a large number of flies were swarming outside a bedroom window in a residence that hadn’t been occupied in days.

Gully said when officers arrived, they could smell a strong odor of decomposition. They located an unlocked window and called out into the residence, but received no response.

“Officers located the room where the flies were seen and observed that the door to the room was shut,” Gully said. “Officers entered the room and found an almost fully decomposed dog in the corner. Officers also located a cage in the room and the cage door was shut.”

Gully said the cage had a hole on one side where it appeared the dog had chewed its way out. Officers did not locate any food or water bowls inside the room or the cage.

Gully said when officers made contact with the homeowner, Austin Lebrun, 21, he said he had stopped caring for the house and the dog, named Sadie. He said he locked her in the bedroom and last checked on her 3-4 weeks ago.

He “stated he would stop by the house multiple times during the week and assumed she died but never opened the door to look,” Gully said.

Lebrun was placed under arrest for aggravated cruelty to animals and booked into the Sulphur City Jail. His bond was set at $15,000.Austin LebrunSulphur Police Department