Omaha, Nebraska – A Nebraska man is facing a charge of felony animal cruelty for the abysmal way he treated his young dog, who died of sepsis after being starved. According to sources, on February 26 Terrance Feairs called Nebraska Humane to see if they could euthanize his three-year-old dog.

The dog was in such pitiful condition that the responding animal control officer believed that he was already dead. But the dog was still alive and barely clinging to life.

Steve Glandt, Nebraska Humane Society vice president of field operations, told WOWT News:

“The animal control officer described the dog in his report as a ‘skeleton with skin draped on it,’”

The dog was in such poor health that the difficult decision was made for humane euthanasia. Upon questioning, Feairs admitted that he had never take the dog to a veterinarian, and though the dog was three years old, Feairs had never given his pet a name, or even determined the gender.

Humane officers determined that the dog was kept in “deplorable conditions,” in a confined area where the dog had to eat, drink, urinate and defecate.

Feairs is facing a class 4 felony and is due in court on April 24.