BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WETM) – The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Ivan Connel for allegedly poisoning a dog that was found in the Chemung River.

On May 28, 2021, Southern Tier Animal Control was dispatched to Golden Glow for a report of a dead dog located in that section of the Chemung River. The dog was wrapped in chicken wire and contained by cinder blocks.

The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office was notified and began an investigation.

The dog was sent to the Cornell University Animal Hospital, and after a necropsy, morphine was found in the dog’s system.

Connel was eventually identified as a suspect and after an interview, the Sheriff’s Office learned Connel used morphine to euthanize the dog, which belonged to Connel’s residence.

Connel then allegedly put the dog in the river to “assist with the decomposition process”, and it was later found by a local fisherman.

Connel was arrested for Poisoning or Attempting to Poison an Animal, a Class A Misdemeanor. He was released on an appearance ticket to return to the Town of Big Flats Court at a later date.

The Chemung County District Attorney’s Office and New York State Police also helped with the investigation.