COVINGTON, Ga. - Newton County Sheriff Office responded to a call to assist Newton County Animal Control involving three dogs malnourished and one dog deceased according to an incident report dated June 25.

The four dogs were found in the backyard of an Oak Ridge Court home. A brown dog was severely malnourished and found dead with a collar around its neck. A white dog was found malnourished and unable to move. The other two dogs were chained up and also lacked nourishment, according to the incident case. 

Robert Brown lives next door where a fence divides his home and where the dogs were found. 

“I didn't really notice the dogs that much until that day,” Brown said. “They were all pit bulls, they were all chained to trees. None of them had water, none of them had food, they didn't have anything.” 

Brown was outside his home doing yard work when he looked over the fence and noticed the dogs were all skin and bones. 

“It was a water bucket wrapped around its neck with a chain, and it was another one laying in a ditch. It was another one that looked like it was dead just skin and bone," Brown said. “And it was another one that was further back that looked like it had some water, it was moving and barking. I was kind of concerned because these dogs were bad.”

Brown went to knock on the neighbor’s front door to make them aware of what he saw, but they weren't home. Brown then called Newton County Animal Control. 

“You can't leave dogs unattended to like that, it's not right you treat your animals like that,” Brown said. “ It’s heart-wrenching for me, I just wish it never happened.”

Newton County Sheriff Office hasn't made any arrests, however, Deputy Micheal Gregg confirmed the condition of the dogs when they were removed from the house. 

“One dog was deceased, one dog was severely malnourished and two dogs were malnourished but will be ok,” Gregg said. 

Newton County Animal Control was contacted and unable to give a comment on the current condition of the dogs. 

Four people were listed on the incident report as suspects, none of them could be reached for comment.