A Lansford man faces cruelty to animals and neglect charges after police say he abandoned a dog in an apartment he vacated.

Richard Yturrino, 23, was charged by Lansford police with cruelty to animals and neglect of animal/sustenance and water. A preliminary hearing is slated May 27 before District Judge Beth Dodson on the charges.

According to court papers, a neighbor found the dog abandoned inside an apartment at 9 W. Ridge St. on April 1 after Yturrino moved out. He contacted the landlord who tried to contact his tenants, who didn’t answer their phones.

Tom Connors from the Carbon County Animal Shelter agreed to take the dog, who was found inside a cage in the kitchen covered with its own waste and very skinny, court papers said. The dog was weak and had no access to food or water.

Police spoke to a former tenant, who said she moved out a month earlier due to domestic issues, and said the dog belonged to Yturrino, who was on the run due to warrants, court papers said.

— Kelly Monitz Socha