Police officer accused of dumping emaciated dog in trash bag at city park

Months after a starving pit bull was found abandoned, shivering in a black trash bag on a cold fall day in Philadelphia, officials finally announced an arrest.

The Pennsylvania SPCA announced in a statement Thursday that Philadelphia Police Officer Michael Long was arrested and charged with two counts of animal cruelty, one count for possession of an instrument of a crime and one summary charge of animal cruelty. 

The dog, who was later named Cranberry, was discovered by a good Samaritan who was out on a Thanksgiving hike with her family dog on November 23. The woman saw the garbage bag move and as she stepped closer she saw the dog’s head peeking out.

She called the animal protection group’s Humane Law Enforcement team, which brought the dog to the PSPCA’s Shelter Hospital. The emaciated pup was nursed back to health before being adopted in December.

“Our goal is to make sure that not only does the animal survive but that we find who’s responsible for this horrific act of cruelty,” Nicole Wilson, director of PSPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement team, told CBS Philly back in November.

While officials were searching for the person responsible, Cranberry was recovering and feeling the love with her new owner, Jimmy Huntley.

“Cranberry now weighs 60 pounds and has been given some new gear by her new family,” read a recent Facebook post on a page that chronicle’s Cranberry’s new life.

“This arrest today is the culmination of an investigation conducted by our officers and the Philadelphia Police Internal Affairs Unit,” Wilson said in a statement. “We look forward to the opportunity to see justice through the courts in this matter.”

The department has suspended Long for 30 days with the intent to dismiss, reports CBS Philly.