A Virginia police officer is facing animal cruelty charges in connection with the alleged maltreatment of a former service horse.

City of Suffolk spokeswoman Diana Klink said that on May 22 the adoptive owners of a retired service horse said that the animal was in poor condition at the time of its adoption. The animal was subsequently euthanized by a veterinarian, Klink said, and the Suffolk Animal Control Department investigated the case.

Klink said that the horse’s former owners, Brian Davis and his wife Jennifer Davis, both of Suffolk, were later arrested and charged by the Portsmouth Police Department with cruelty to animals and inadequate care of animals.

Neither Brian nor Jennifer Davis was available for comment on the case