YOUNGSTOWN - A warrant has been issued for a Youngstown man after humane agents found the remains of a dog chained in the back yard of his South Side home.

The Mahoning County Grand Jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charging 25-year-old Lamont Thomas with violating Ohio’s law concerning companion animals.

Jane MacMurchy of Animal Charity of Ohio says agents found the dead dog chained to a pole behind Thomas’s St. Louis Avenue home this past September. MacMurchy told 21 News that there was no indication that the dog named “Jax” had been fed or given water for several weeks.

If convicted, Thomas could face a penalty of six months to one year in jail.

A message posted along with a photo of the dog’s remains on Animal Charity’s Facebook page states “We will make sure justice will be served for you Jax.”

Thomas will be brought to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to answer the indictment.