Father charged for starving dogs

A Burke County man was jailed for animal cruelty after deputies found his dog dying of starvation and a broken back.

Tyrone Bernard Lovett, 36, was arrested last Wednesday after an anonymous caller reported he and his children were abusing animals outside their Hometract Road residence, according to a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

The caller said he had seen teenagers and preteens holding the dog over their heads and slamming her to the ground and that 10 of her puppies had died, including one that was thrown in the air and kicked to death by the children.

Deputies found the chained dog, which they described as severely malnourished, covered in feces and unable to move her back legs.

They questioned two juveniles who said the puppies died from starvation but had not been physically abused.

The mother dog was retrieved by Old Fella Rescue volunteers and put to sleep after a veterinarian determined she was in severe pain and had no hope of walking again.