A Missouri man has been arrested in Clay County, Arkansas after deputies discovered multiple neglected dogs along a rural roadway.
According to Clay County Sheriff Ronnie Cole, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department received a report on Nov. 12 about several Beagles being mistreated on County Road 441 between McDougal, Arkansas and Boydsville, Arkansas. The caller reported the dogs were not properly fed, lacked drinking water, and had no adequate shelter. Deputies were also told that two of the dogs had already died.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they were unable to contact the owner but gathered enough evidence to pursue an arrest warrant.
On Nov. 15, deputies arrested David Doyle Crowe, 58, of Parma, Missouri, on 20 counts of cruelty to animals. Authorities said Crowe had previously been arrested twice in Missouri in 2023 on similar animal cruelty charges.
Crowe was transported to the Clay County Detention Center. After arriving, he signed over ownership of the surviving dogs to MyZouy Rescue in Corning, Arkansas, which took custody of the animals.
Sheriff Cole thanked the rescue organization for assisting deputies and caring for the dogs. The rescue group has since asked the public for donations to help cover the costs of caring for the animals and has shared photos of their condition.
Authorities noted that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
