Two Charged with Felony Animal Cruelty, Again, in Greene County

MARMADUKE, Ark. – Two people face animal cruelty charges in Greene County after they left a dog tied up and malnourished following an eviction, court documents allege.

On April 4, deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department were called to an address in Marmaduke in reference to a dog being abandoned and tied up on the property. The caller stated that the occupants had been evicted approximately 10 days prior.

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Deputies found a malnourished dog tied to a post in the backyard, the probable cause affidavit says. There was no shelter, food, or water for the animal. It was also missing an eye that needed veterinary care.

On April 5, detectives returned to the property and made contact with the person who filed the report. They stated the night before, the house was being cleaned out and inside were dog bowls and feces all over the floors. Detectives entered the residence with permission from the owner and located remnants of dog food in the room, a dog toy by the back yard, and several spots where feces was on the floor along with dried urine. The house also had furniture built into the wall that had chew marks on it, the affidavit says.

The deputy who served the eviction notice at the property documented that there was a dog on the property when he was there.

The affidavits for both defendants say that each has a pending aggravated animal cruelty case through the Paragould Police Department and as part of the conditions of their bond, was advised not to own or possess any animals during the pending case.

Jackson Baird, 26, and Madison Baird, 24, both face a charge of aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat, or equine, a Class D felony in Arkansas.

The original case stemmed from 2023, court records show. On October 27, 2023, officers were dispatched to a residence in Paragould in reference to a cruelty to animals complaint. They made contact with the landlord, who advised the defendants were being evicted for failure to pay rent. Officers were told when the landlord went inside, he found multiple dogs that were malnourished. The home was a complete mess and covered in dog feces, officers noted. Officers noted one dog was extremely malnourished and locked in a kennel with no food or water. When removed, the dog was unable to stand and urinated on itself.

Neighbors advised police that the male and female tenants were only around once a week or so and didn’t stay very often.

The affidavits for the respective cases say that Madison told police she was aware of the dogs’ condition but that the dogs weren’t hers. Jackson reportedly told police he and his ex-wife were aware of the animals condition and that he should have handled things differently, but he got in over his head and didn’t have the money to help the animals.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.