Detectives are investigating claims Arnie the German shepherd’s owner was at an inner Brisbane brothel on the night he allegedly left his dog to die inside his ute, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Nathan McKeown, 43, was sensationally charged on Thursday with allegedly breaching the duty of care to an animal after his family dog was discovered dead in his abandoned ute on Amelia Street, Fortitude Valley, on November 17.
The discovery came after McKeown spent more than a week fronting the media, claiming that his dog had been kidnapped by car thieves while it slept in the back of his ute outside his friend’s Wynnum home on November 8.
McKeown and his wife launched a viral social media campaign and offered a $6,000 reward for his return, with the alleged ute theft capturing the hearts of Australians who rallied to support the family and flooded their inboxes with possible Arnie sightings.
Now, the Daily Mail can reveal detectives are investigating claims that McKeown was visiting a well-known city brothel on the evening that Arnie was allegedly left behind.
Police will allege McKeown drove his ute into the heart of the city’s nightlife hub at 10.30pm on November 7 and parked his car out the front of Elysian Touch massage in Fortitude Valley, a parlour that is understood to offer sexual services.
It is alleged he then left on foot while Arnie was still inside the car and attended a separate brothel, about a 30-minute walk away.
The manager of that brothel told the Daily Mail one of their workers saw McKeown on the Today Show during one of his public appeals and recognised him as a customer from the night of November 7.
Nathan McKeown, 43, (pictured) has been charged over the alleged neglectful death of his dog, Arnie the German Shepherd
Arnie was allegedly left inside the back of McKeown’s ute (pictured) for more than a week before it was discovered on November 17. Now police are investigating claims he spent part of the evening at a brothel
Footage has emerged of police removing Arnie’s body after he was allegedly left abandoned in the vehicle
The woman then reported her alleged encounter to management, who lodged a report with police on Thursday as news broke of McKeown’s arrest.
The brothel asked not to be named to avoid being associated with the tragedy.
The Daily Mail has confirmed a report was lodged with Queensland Police Service and officers are working to substantiate it.
It is understood that the brothel has CCTV footage that allegedly shows McKeown at the premises between 11pm and 1am that evening.
The manager told the Daily Mail: ‘He came in and booked a lady and stayed with that lady.
‘We found it difficult to remove him and all he could talk about was that he had lost his car, but there was no talk of his dog [being inside it].
‘The girl told him to report it stolen, then he called his wife and said it had been taken,’ she claimed.
She said McKeown eventually left of his own accord.
She said CCTV also showed McKeown returning to the business between 3am and 3.30am, but none of the ladies would see him.
Footage obtained by the Daily Mail shows McKeown driving to Amelia Street, where police will allege he left his car with Arnie inside
Arnie was said to have been stolen by car thieves as he slept inside McKeown’s ute, but police will allege the pet owner abandoned the vehicle in Fortitude Valley
The manager said staff at the establishment were shocked and distressed after hearing about the arrest in the case, which they have been following.
The Daily Mail put questions to McKeown but did not receive a response by deadline.
Police have alleged that on November 8, McKeown allegedly told his wife, Louise, that the ute had been stolen and she filed a police report.
Ms McKeown had no idea the vehicle had not actually been stolen, police say.
How the search was sparked
The frantic week-long search began after Arnie was reportedly stolen along with the ute from outside a home on Davidson St, at Wynnum, between 1.30am and 5am on November 8.
McKeown said he had the eight-year-old German shepherd with him when he dropped in to visit friends, but his mate’s kelpie didn’t get along with Arnie, so he put his dog in the back canopy of his black Toyota HiLux and gave him some water.
When McKeown went to leave several hours later, he said both his ute and Arnie were gone.
‘I went and met one of my mates, he picked me up, we drove around looking up streets, checking car parks seeing if it had been abandoned,’ the father-of-one told Seven News last week.
‘I would have heard him if he barked, he probably thought it was me getting in the ute.’
The Daily Mail understands McKeown had spent part of the evening of November 7 with one of his best mates, who has an aggressive cattle dog.
A poignant tribute to the dead dog could be seen at the home of Arnie’s family in Brisbane
The Daily Mail understands McKeown attended the brothel alone, and does not suggest the friend was with him.
The Daily Mail also does not suggest the friend was aware that McKeown had allegedly left the dog in the car on Amelia Street.
One neighbour, Claire, told the Daily Mail ‘they’re a lovely couple’ who never caused trouble.
‘Arnie was like their family, they loved him and he would be genuinely devastated about what’s happened,’ she said.
‘Sometimes we’d be having a bonfire at the same time and they’d have some music going, but we never had any trouble.
‘It’s so sad because they’re so nice.’
McKeown issued countless online community appeals as Queensland Police worked around the clock to locate Arnie and the stolen vehicle.
Police will allege McKeown’s wife Louise did not know the vehicle was never stolen
The search came to an end on Monday when a member of the public located the vehicle parked on Amelia Street with Arnie dead inside.
‘Unfortunately there isn’t a better outcome and Arnie was found… deceased, still in the back of the ute that was stolen,’ the family posted on Tuesday.
‘We are beyond devastated. He didn’t deserve to go like this!! We had the best life with him and he is going to be so missed.
‘We sincerely want to thank everyone for all your help over the past week in the search for our boy Arnie.
‘Police are following up all CCTV footage and leads.’
Shock arrest
Following inquiries from Daily Mail on Thursday, Queensland Police revealed they will allege in court that the car was not stolen and the owner had left the dog in the ute in Fortitude Valley.
‘The owner of the vehicle has assisted police with these investigations, and it has now been established that a criminal offence of unlawful use of (a) motor vehicle has not occurred,’ a spokesperson said.
Queensland Police previously said that reports of ‘Arnie’ sightings took officers across the Brisbane region and surrounding districts, but they were ‘unsubstantiated’.
As investigations remain ongoing, Queensland Police thanked the media and the public on Thursday for their extensive assistance throughout the investigation.
‘Police are aware this has been a highly publicised case, and offences of this nature may cause distress and upset members of the public,’ a spokesperson said.
‘The Queensland Police Service requests that the public are respectful of the matter’s progression through the courts.
‘The QPS takes animal care seriously.’
McKeown has been charged with one count of ‘breach of duty of care of animal by failing to provide under the Animal Protection Act’.
He is expected to appear before a Brisbane court next month.
