DeSoto man arrested after malnourished, dogs with infected cropped ears found in his possession

DESOTO, Texas — A man was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges after police and animal control officers rescued 10 malnourished and injured dogs from unauthorized kennels behind a DeSoto church.

The DeSoto Police Department says officers responded around 7:35 p.m. on July 25 to the 200 block of W. Parkerville Road after receiving a report of a man camping on private church property without permission. When they arrived, they found Timmy Anderson, 26, of Temple, Texas, who admitted to squatting and revealed that he was keeping 10 dogs in a fenced area nearby.

Animal Control officers quickly determined the dogs were in poor health, police said. All 10 were severely underweight—scoring just a 2 out of 9 on the body weight scale—and two had significant injuries, including ears that had been completely cut off and were infected, DPD said. Investigators say Anderson admitted to having the dogs’ ears removed and acknowledged knowing about the open wounds but chose not to seek veterinary care.

Due to the urgent medical needs of the animals, Animal Control obtained a seizure order and took all 10 dogs for treatment.

Anderson was arrested at the scene and booked on six counts of animal cruelty, a third-degree felony under Texas law. Police say additional charges are expected for the remaining four dogs as the investigation continues.

Officials encourage the public to report any suspected animal abuse or neglect by contacting DeSoto Animal Control, the DeSoto Police Department, or the Tri-City Animal Shelter & Adoption Center.