Charges against Caymon Wieczorrek have been dropped, according to Eric Epplin, an assistant district attorney from Canadian County. Wieczorreck had been charged with animal cruelty stemming from poor conditions and failure to dispose of a deceased dog at the Watonga dog pound.
Epplin wrote that there was insufficient evidence to continue the case.
The state would have had to prove either that the dog was willfully or maliciously tortured, destroyed, or killed by the accused or that he deprived the dog of necessary food, water, shelter or veterinary care to prevent suffering.
Those facts could not be laid on the accused because there was no way to determine when the deceased dog came to the shelter or what its condition was upon surrender. In order to prove cruelty, that information would be needed to show responsibility, backed up by a work schedule.
“Though the condition of the shelter was alarming and indicates a complete and systematic failure at multiple levels, a criminal prosecution of a particular individual would ultimately require proof beyond a reasonable doubt of that individual’s criminal culpability,” Eppling wrote.
Wieczorrek resigned as animal control officer and is no longer employed by the City of Watonga.