VAN BUREN, Ark. — According to the Van Buren Police Department (VBPD), James and Ashley Lemley were arrested and charged with animal cruelty after police found one of their dogs dead and another “extremely overheated and struggling to breathe” due to apparent neglect.
A VBPD report states that on June 11, 2023, police were dispatched to a home off of Valley View Street after witnesses saw two dogs being neglected in a backyard.
According to police, one witness said that “for the past four days she has been going over and giving the two dogs water, but that one dog had since died,” and another witness said that the last time the owners had been seen was around four days prior and that even when they did go out, the owners “did not do anything for the dogs.”
Police say that when they entered the backyard that was in “bad shape” with “trash placed everywhere,” they found a chain link dog pen that was in “extremely poor condition ... without any sort of shade,” while being in direct sunlight at temperatures over 100 degrees.
The VBPD says they found a Great Pyrenees dog that had died while trying to use a nearby piece of wood as shade from the heat, and the other dog was a chocolate lab that was attempting to find shade in a dog house, but due to where it was placed it did not provide any shade.
The lab was described in police documents as being very sweet, even coming right up to the fence to greet police, who observed the dog to be extremely overheated and struggling to breathe.
Police documents say that after animal control arrived on the scene to retrieve the lab, they informed police that they were “very familiar with the residence as [animal control] has retrieved both dogs after escaping the pin multiple times,” and that authorities believe “The Lemleys made no effort to provide sufficient shade, food, or water to the dogs in order for them to cool down.”
Police say that the only food they could find “was scattered around and covered in dirt.”
The chocolate lab was taken by animal control and is being placed into emergency custody, but no further information was made available as to the dog's condition.
The Lemleys were arrested on July 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty on July 25.
The Lemleys are both out on bond— James' next court appearance is set for Nov. 27, 2023, and Ashley's is set for Dec. 4, 2023.
As of August 14, 2023, James Lemley was still listed as both the varsity boys golf coach for Van Buren High School and a classroom teacher for Northridge Middle School.
5NEWS reached out to the Van Buren School District and received the following statement:
“The district is aware of the matter and is conducting an investigation. As the issue involves personnel, the district will have no further comment at this time due to the confidentiality requirements under applicable law.”
Editor's Note: Pictures of the injured and overheated dogs were provided in official reports, but due to their graphic nature they have not been added to this article.
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