A Brooksville man has been charged with animal cruelty after authorities say at least one of his dogs was severely malnourished.

  • Brooksville man accused of animal cruelty
  • Deputies: One dog, Chi Chi, was so malnourished she couldn't walk
  • Deandre Goodson, 21, was arrested; his bond was set at $5,000

Authorities were originally called to the 800 block of Josephine Street on December 21 in reference to a dog bite.

Deputies say they determined that Deandre Goodson, 21, who lives nearby, was the owner of the dog after making contact with the owner of the house he lives in.

After getting permision, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office says their deputy began exploring the property, discovering three dogs living in poor conditions.

One dog, Chi Chi, was so malnourished she was unable to walk. She was covered in scars.

The homeowner reportedly told deputies that the dog had recently had a litter of puppies -- but had eaten them. Goodson later confirmed the troubling statement.  

In a media release, deputies said:

Goodson said a friend, Breon Wyatt, had given him the dog about a year ago. He indicated the dog got out of the yard a couple of months ago and he had only recently found Chi Chi and brought her back home. Goodson confirmed Chi Chi gave birth to two puppies about two week ago, but she had eaten them.

Goodson said he feeds Chi Chi regularly and wasn't sure why the dog was so skinny. He also stated the dog's injuries were the result of the other two dogs attacking her. Goodson said he chose not to seek treatment for the injured dog.

Chi Chi was transported to Animal Services for immediate medical attention, where veterinarians said she had numerous injuries and was suffering from neglect.

Goodson's dogs were kept outdoors by heavy metal chains. Deputies noted that water didn't appear to be accessible. He turned himself into authorities and was charged with one count of animal cruelty.

His bond has been set at $5,000.