Man Bathed Golden Retriever In Boiling Water: Police

A 26-year-old Wisconsin man is being held in the Rock County Jail after authorities say he bathed his golden retriever in boiling water.

Cody Sholes, 26, Beloit, has been charged with two counts of animal mistreatment, according to online court records. If convicted, he could face up to three years behind bars.

According to a Channel 3000 report, police in Beloit, Wis. responded to Sholes' house on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and reported seeing a female golden retriever "with some of her skin pulled back from her eyebrows to the back of her neck. Also a large patch of skin was missing from the rib area of the dog."

According to a criminal complaint filed Dec. 15 in Rock County, Sholes told officers that he turned up his water heater and left the dog in the tub while taking care of his three-month-old child. The complaint stated that the dog's injuries were consistent with water temperatures that would have to be above boiling, which would be approximately 212 degrees.

The golden retriever was taken to a veterinarian where she’s expected to recover.

Image Via Rock County Jail