Animal welfare officials have rescued an emaciated dog that languished in the basement of an abandoned Tarrant house as city officials squabbled over who had authority to free it.

An impasse between Mayor Wayman Newton and Police Chief Wendell Major over entering the private residence resulted in inaction as the dog remained in a feces-littered basement garage.

Following multiple complaints, Allison Black Cornelius, CEO of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, took action on Saturday to open the door and free the dog.

Her veterinary team did not think the dog could live another day, Cornelius said.

“It’s a sweet dog that’s going to recover,” Cornelius told AL.com Monday.

Inside the garage, the gravity-fed watering system was empty and there was no edible food remaining in the garage. Animal control officials said the dog was lethargic and would have died without action.

“It was clear the dog had been abandoned, neighbors reported that no one had been to the house in a while and that the house had been empty for quite some time,” Cornelius wrote in an update on the Facebook page. “The amount of fecal material observable through the garage window indicated the dog had been in the garage for at least 2-3 weeks perhaps longer.”

The remaining food was so rancid that dog refused to even eat it, she said.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society is contracted to provide animal control services in Jefferson County. Cornelius noted that she is an appointed county agent.

Cornelius said the humane society left two notices on the property throughout the week but was hampered by inaction. She took the unusual move after seeing photos and observing that the dog was in danger.

“Our officer requested the police to obtain a warrant on two separate days,” Cornelius wrote on her Facebook page. “I spoke to the two Tarrant police (officers) who were on scene with our officer Friday, and they told me their supervisor would not let them request a warrant.”

The dog was seen through a smeared side window and barking was heard through the garage door.

Tarrant city workers cutting an overgrown lawn at a vacant house late last week discovered the abandoned animal.

Mayor Wayman Newton, animal welfare advocates, and other residents wanted the dog removed and given assistance.

Typically, when there is no response to the notice, then local police open the door to retrieve the animal. But Police Chief Wendell Major said he could not legally enter private property unless a warrant is issued or if the animal is in imminent danger. Neither was the case, Major told AL.com Friday.

Newton Friday blasted the chief’s refusal to take action and called the impasse disheartening. Newton said the lack of action deviated from what is normally done in municipalities during similar circumstances where the police aid in animal rescues. Major said a more stringent process was required for entering private property.

Relations between Newton and Major are tense. Newton, who hired Major as chief in 2021, attempted to fire him in April. The council unanimously reversed Newton and reinstated the chief.

Regardless of the process, Cornelius said action was needed urgently to save the life of the animal that was visibly in distress. She said the dog was “skin and bones.”

“If pet owners decide to abandon their homes and abandon their pets at the property, GBHS will do whatever it takes to ensure the animal does not die,” she said on Facebook. “I will not stop, and our society will not stop. Ever.”