Man arrested after breaking dog out of animal control

News-Topic, Lenoir, N.C.
·2 min read

Apr. 20—LENOIR — A man has been charged with breaking and entering after he recovered his dog by breaking into the Caldwell County Animal Care Enforcement (ACE) facility.

On Saturday, April 15, ACE received a call about a dog, described as a pit bull, muzzled and tied to a tree. After multiple attempts to find the owner, an ACE officer took the dog to the Caldwell County Animal Care Enforcement Facility, according to Paige Counts, county spokeswoman.

Late Saturday night, the dog owner, William Kane Byrd, 23, of 2105 Roselle Place Lenoir, allegedly broke into the facility and took possession of his dog.

Following a Lenoir police investigation, Byrd was charged with felonious breaking and entering, larceny of dog, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. He was arrested Monday, April 17, records show.

Byrd is out on bond, and the dog has been returned to his care. ACE officers learned that Byrd was not the person who left the dog muzzled and tethered to a tree.

To help prevent pets from being lost, owners should:

— Spay or neuter pets as soon as possible. Both male and female pets that are not spayed or neutered are much more likely to go looking for companionship and get lost as well as produce unwanted litters.

— Make sure pet have a collar with a rabies vaccination tag and ID tag. Cats can wear stretch collars with flat tags that are riveted directly to the collar.

— Have pets microchipped. Microchips are a great way to help find lost pets. All animals that enter the Caldwell County Animal Shelter are checked for microchips.

— Keep pets in a fenced yard or on a leash when they are outside. Do not let pets roam free.

— Keep all pets indoors during severe thunderstorms, other severe weather situations, and on the Fourth of July. Many pets escape from their yard or run away because of their fear of fireworks or thunderstorms.

For more information about finding lost pets, please contact the Animal Care Enforcement at 180 Government Way, Lenoir, NC 28645 or call 828-572-4535.