Published: January 16, 2009 11:36 pm      

Dog’s owner faces charges

A Johnstown man allegedly abandoned his badly burned dog near a gas station on Christmas Eve, leaving the injured animal with only a T-shirt for protection in freezing temperatures.

The German shepherd mix named Barney wandered for eight days before he was discovered along Somerset Pike in Conemaugh Township, Somerset County.

Now Erik George Licht faces two counts of animal cruelty, while his 8-month-old pet continues to recover in foster care.

“It’s a wonder the dog survived. It’s really amazing,” said Elaine Gower, an officer for Somerset County Humane Society.

As Barney’s saga made headlines last week, authorities searched for whomever might have been responsible for the dog’s injuries.

That search ended Thursday night when Licht, under questioning by Johnstown police, told his story.

The suspect said he was at his Franklin Street home on Dec. 24 when “he heard his dog ‘yelping’ and he smelled something burning,” a police affidavit says.

A bandanna around the dog’s neck had caught fire, likely from a candle sitting on a coffee table, Licht told police.

Then the situation worsened..

Licht told police he had been drinking, and “in a reactive attempt to put out the fire, threw the contents of his drinking glass onto the flames,” court papers say.

The mixture of rum, amaretto and vodka ignited and “only increased the flames on the head, face, neck and back of the dog,” police wrote in the affidavit.

Licht eventually extinguished the flames with water.

But instead of seeking medical treatment for his pet, authorities say, Licht put a T-shirt on the dog and drove him to a CoGo’s convenience store at 2431 Franklin St.

There, he “let the dog out of his vehicle and then drove away, abandoning the dog and leaving him without food, water or medical treatment,” police said.

City police Chief Craig Foust said Licht worried that he had no money for a veterinarian’s bill and was “hoping some Good Samaritan would find (the dog).”

Instead, Barney was on his own until a couple discovered him on New Year’s Day. The dog, which was turned over to Somerset County Humane Society, was burned over 30 percent of his body and weighed only 23 pounds when found.

Barney received treatment at Laurel Highlands Animal Hospital in Somerset. Court documents say a doctor there noted “splash patterns” in the burns, which seems to be consistent with Licht’s story.

Foust said authorities had received information from several sources – some anonymous, some not. That information led police to Licht.

Gower, who pursued the case until city police took over, said Somerset’s humane society received “a ton of calls” about Barney.

She added that, despite the severity of his injuries, the now-famous pooch is recovering nicely.

“Barney’s in a foster home that we hope will lead to a permanent home, and he’s doing really, really well,” Gower said.

Charges were filed against Licht on Friday at District Judge Leonard Grecek’s office in Johnstown.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26.