Willie Hendricks

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

A disturbing video of an underweight dog living in a filthy room set off an animal cruelty investigation that ended with the arrest of a Danbury High School coach, police said.

Willie Hendricks, 37, of Brookfield, faces two counts of cruelty to animals after officers found his dogs confined in what investigators called unsanitary conditions, according to a warrant obtained by the CT Post.

Hendricks coaches the boys and girls volleyball teams, and it remains unclear whether he faces disciplinary action following the arrest.

Animal control officers began their investigation after reviewing a video recorded by a woman who used to live with Hendricks. She went to his home to pick up her mail. The warrant says the video showed one of Hendricks’ rottweilers, Zyra, looking “extremely skinny” while kept in a bathroom. Feces and urine were on the floor, the warrant said.

The woman told police Hendrick would often leave the dogs locked in the basement for long periods of time, despite the unsanitary conditions and the fact that it floods frequently, the report continued. 

Police went to Hendricks’ Ironworks Hill Road home four days later and asked where Zyra was. He told officers the dog was in the bathroom. When asked when she was last let out, he said, “She goes out twice a day,” according to the warrant.

Officers noted Zyra’s visible ribs and thigh bones. When asked why she appeared so thin, Hendricks said she was “a small dog,” the warrant says.

Animal Control Officer Cynthia Wilcox wrote in the warrant that the dog smelled of urine and was missing fur.

Hendricks was released on a $1,000 bond, police said.