Jury declines to indict Baytown man who was accused of mutilating several puppies in June

BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- Animal cruelty charges have been dropped against a Baytown man who had been accused of abusing and mutilating several puppies six months ago.

ABC13 first reported in June that Justin Reilly Belton was charged with four counts of animal cruelty, but those charges have since been dismissed.

A grand jury declined to indict Belton after the clinic's results were found to be inaccurate and Belton was not responsible for the condition of the animals.

On June 17, a veterinarian took in six puppies from Belton at Sunset 24/7 Animal Hospital and described their injuries as horrific and disturbing. It was first reported that the puppies' injuries did not appear to have been caused by another animal but possibly by a tool.

According to court documents, four of the six puppies had legs or paws that were cut off. Belton was arrested at the animal hospital.

Sadly, two of the puppies did not survive, but the others were said to be doing well.

READ MORE: Vet says 4 puppies who were mutilated survived, should have 'pretty good life' moving forward

Although two sadly died, the other four puppies are reportedly doing well. "Some of them may only have three legs, but that's never stopped a dog before," the vet told ABC13.

According to the grand jury filings from Dec. 1., Belton was no-billed on all four animal cruelty charges.

ABC13 spoke to his defense lawyer, Perry Bass, who said Belton was not guilty of the crime. He said the dogs' injuries were found to be most likely caused by another animal, like a dog or rodent.

"A forensic specialist did the autopsy on several of the animals, and that report said, as I mentioned, 99.9% certainty that this was caused by another animal and not a human," Bass said.

He said the district attorney's office sent the dogs to another vet in Florida, and that report had the same results.

Belton does not have a history of animal abuse, but officials said his stories changed multiple times.

Investigators said he initially said his neighbor's dog attacked the puppies. Then, he said he left them inside a cage, and when he came home, they were badly hurt.

When police executed a search warrant at his home on Post Oak Drive, records state they found a dead female dog, believed to be the puppies' mother, as well as several other dogs in "unsanitary and confined condition."