Animal control officer arrested for keeping seized dogs

A Hoosick Falls animal control officer has been arrested for allegedly taking three dogs from a town resident.

According to State Police, animal control officer Matthew Beck responded to a call from a woman reporting that three dogs had taken shelter in her barn. Those dogs had been reported missing earlier by town resident April Stevens.

Beck, who is also a dairy farmer, allegedly took two of the dogs back to his dairy farm where he keeps stray animals. The third dog made it back to Stevens' home.

When contacted by Stevens, Beck claimed the dogs he had picked up were not hers and that they had been returned to their owner, Stevens said.

Left without any answers, Stevens passed out fliers during the local St. Patrick's Day parade showing her two missing dogs. The woman who had found the dogs in her barn and called animal control happened to see the flier and told Stevens the dogs had been picked up by an animal control officer, Stevens told CBS 6.

At Stevens's request, State Police initiated an investigation; Beck will face charges tonight at Hoosick Falls Town Court for giving a false statement, petit larceny, official misconduct and forgery.

It's still unclear where exactly the missing dogs are.