CHARMCO W.Va. (WVDN) – According to a criminal complaint, with events dating back to Oct. 2, 2025, an officer was dispatched to the vicinity of Charmco to assist the Greenbrier County Animal Control Officer.
When the officer arrived on scene, the animal control officer took him to a dog that was reportedly extremely emaciated and couldn’t walk. A neighbor had filed a report about the dog, saying it was in terrible shape and not being taken care of.
A male who was later identified as Johnny Brown was on the property and claimed the dog was his. The dog reportedly appeared to be a brown and white pit bull mix, and Brown allegedly said it was 19 years old. According to the criminal complaint, the dog looked emaciated to the point of starvation and didn’t have the use of its back legs. The dog reportedly didn’t move and appeared to be in pain.
The officer asked Brown more questions as to why the dog was in such bad shape. Brown allegedly responded by saying that he only had the dog for two days and that he came to have the dog because his sister first owned it. The complaint states that Brown said he knew the dog was suffering and had made no effort to take the dog to a vet or to put it down himself.
Greenbrier County 911 informed the officer that Brown was wanted in Greenbrier County for cruelty to animals. Brown was placed under arrest for the current warrant and transported to a Magistrate where he was released on bond.
While still on scene, the sister showed up. She said she had the dog for two months before dropping it off three days ago with Brown. According to the complaint, she reportedly admitted to being aware of the dog’s condition and that it had deteriorated rapidly two weeks ago. Even though the dog desperately needed medical attention, the complaint states the sister refused to take it to a vet or put it down humanely. The interview with the sister was recorded on the officer’s bodycam.
The officer then left with Brown, and the animal control officer took the dog.
The animal control officer took the dog to the Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital, where it was reportedly determined that the dog was barely alive. The vet determined it was best for the dog to be euthanized. Its remains were then taken to the Greenbrier County Humane Society and stored as evidence. The animal control officer will be obtaining a veterinary report pertaining to the dog.
Johnny Brown was arrested on Feb. 19 for cruelty to animals. He was taken to Southern Regional Jail.
At the time of publishing, Brown is no longer listed as an inmate at Southern Regional Jail.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The charges mentioned in this article are based on accusations contained in official criminal complaints and law enforcement records.
