A man was arrested on animal cruelty charges Thursday after a dog owner took his fox terrier to a clinic to have the animal euthanized because of its injuries, Sumter County authorities said.

Rolando Martinez, a house guest of a Village of Summerhill resident, was jailed on felony animal cruelty charges after the Humane Society/SPCA and Sumter County sheriff's deputies were called to PAWS Animal Clinic.

Deputies said a veterinarian became suspicious of the wounds discovered on the dog, named Max. The dog's owner said the terrier suffered a leg injury when it got its leg caught in a sliding porch door, deputies said.

After being informed that Max had multiple neck and head wounds, the owner said he was unaware of how the animal sustained the injuries, Sumter County sheriff's deputies said.

Authorities were contacted, and an investigation led to the arrest of Martinez, who is the boyfriend of the dog owner's daughter, deputies said.

Max is in protective custody of the Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County, where a specialist hopes to perform surgery on his compound fractured leg. The surgery is on hold until the dog is in stable condition, officials said.

"Max was in a tremendous amount of pain, but the outlook is hopeful though guarded. His recovery will require extensive veterinary care, so we ask that everyone keep him in their thoughts. When he hopefully heals, he will be ready for adoption into a loving safe home. This is just the beginning of the process to help protect these voiceless victims that are in abusive environments. Animal cruelty is one of highest priorities of our organization," Sheri Evans, the Humane Society/SPCA's Cruelty Investigator, said.

Anyone interested in helping Max can send donations to:

Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County Inc.
P.O. Box 67
Lake Panasoffkee, FL 33538

Any donations earmarked "Max" received in excess of his medical care will be applied towards the Animal Care Fund to help other animals in need.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.