Police arrested a local man on a charge of animal cruelty Wednesday, June 3, after receiving calls that his dog appeared malnourished and lethargic and was wandering the neighborhood, police said.

Brian Laliberte, 28, pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor the next day in Merrimack District Court, police said. He had turned himself in and was released on $1,000 bail.

“It was reported that the dog had been wandering the area and the dog looked sick,” said Lt. Michael Bernard of Bedford police. The dog, a female dalmatian named Chelsea, was found Saturday afternoon, May 30, around 4:30 p.m. on Woodbury Lane.

“The dog had a hard time stepping into the car, it was so weak” when it was found, said Capt. Daniel Douidi.

Police picked up the dog after receiving calls from people who were concerned about its condition, Douidi said. When officer Amy Champagne arrived in the area, she was flagged down by several neighbors who had found Chelsea, police said. Unable to find its owner, Champagne took the dog, which was having a hard time standing, to the Bedford Animal Hospital.

After an investigation and speaking with Laliberte, they confirmed that he owned the dog. They also investigated whether he had any other pets, and found a cat, Douidi said, that was healthy. A telephone number listed for Laliberte was disconnected.

The veterinarian who examined Chelsea said no medical problem caused the low weight, Douidi said. After being fed regularly for the five days since being found, the dog has been putting on about a pound of weight a day, Douidi said.

“There’s no reason that that dog should have been in that condition,” he said. “There’s no medical reason they could find.” Douidi did not know the dog’s exact weight when it was found, but, “it was definitely not what the weight should have been,” he said.

At the arraignment, Laliberte was told he could not have a dog pending the case’s outcome. He was permitted to keep his cat.

“He does not have a dog any longer,” Douidi said. “He does not have anything to do with the dog anymore.” As for Chelsea, Douidi said the dalmation is doing much better. “She’s improving every day,” he said.