Police charge Carnegie man with leaving dogs to roast in scorching heat
A Carnegie man is facing a preliminary hearing after police accused him of leaving his three dogs outside during a sweltering week in June without food or water, leading one animal to suffer brain swelling and die.
Carnegie police on Monday arrested James Brandon Lewis, 41, on three felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and six misdemeanor counts of neglect of animals.
It is at least the 10th time police have filed animal neglect charges against Lewis since January 2024, court records show.
Lewis was arraigned in district court Tuesday, court records show. He was released on nonmonetary bail. His preliminary hearing is set for July 24.
Lewis’ attorney was not listed Tuesday in the court records. Lewis did not respond to phone calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Carnegie police went to Lewis’ home at 521 West Main St. last month after a neighbor said Lewis hadn’t been seen in a week, according to a criminal complaint.
On June 27, police found two dogs on Lewis’ property, a Rottweiler and a pit bull, chained to a fence, the complaint said. Both dogs had open, bleeding wounds on their heads and were covered in flies.
“Both dogs appeared to be in distress from the heat and both were observed to be panting heavily and without energy,” the complaint said.
The temperature outside that day was 87 degrees, with a heat index of 94, police said.
One dog was kept near a wooden dog house in direct sunlight, while another took shelter in a small plastic travel cage filled with rain water, the complaint said. A third dog had dug a shelter for itself under a porch.
Animal control seized all three dogs and took them to a veterinarian for care, the complaint said. All three had temperatures above 100 degrees.
The Rottweiler showed signs of brain swelling and organ failure, the complaint said. The dog was euthanized after it began having seizures.
Lewis had been charged with neglect of animals on nine separate occasions last year, court records show. In several cases, Lewis pleaded guilty and paid a fine. In other cases, a district judge dismissed charges.
Animal control previously had seized dogs from Lewis’ property, police said.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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