Montana man charged with getting small dog drunk

HELENA — A Montana man is charged with animal cruelty after his 20-pound dog was so intoxicated it couldn’t stand up. The Independent Record reports 49-year-old Todd Harold Schrier, of Helena, was charged after East Helena police responded to a report of an intoxicated dog at a bar. Officers found Arly II, a Pomeranian or Pomeranian cross, that couldn’t walk. Court records say an intoxicated person who claimed part ownership of Arly told officers that Schrier had given the dog about a “to-go cup of vodka” on March 1. The dog’s blood-alcohol level was 0.348 percent. An alcohol level of 0.4 percent can be fatal in humans. The dog was treated and is at a shelter until the case is resolved. Schrier is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.