GEORGETOWN, Colo. – A man is being prosecuted for abandoning his dog on one of Colorado's tallest mountains.
The Clear Creek Sheriff's Office announced Friday that a criminal charge animal cruelty has been filed against Anthony Joseph Ortolani.
He couldn't be reached for comment but someone claiming to be him said in an online climbing forum that he left the 112-pound German Shepherd named Missy on Mount Bierstadt when a storm moved in. He said he and another hiker had to get to safety and the dog had been badly hurt during the climb.
The dog was later found by other hikers. The discovery angered many on the forum dedicated to climbing mountains over 14,000 feet, 14ers.com, and a group mobilized to retrieve the dog.
They carried her out in a backpack on Aug. 6.
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