Nathan McKeown hit with new charges after Arnie the German shepherd found dead in ute

Police have revealed their next move after the owner of Arnie the German shepherd was charged over the dog’s death.

The owner of Arnie the German shepherd has been hit with fresh charges after his family dog was found dead in his ute in Brisbane.

The black Toyota HiLux was first reported stolen from Wynnum in eastern Brisbane on November 8, with Arnie the German Shepherd inside the car.

Nathan McKeown was charged after his dog was found dead in the back of his ute. Picture facebook

Following a major 10-day search for the dog - which gained huge traction on social media - seven-year-old Arnie was discovered dead in the back of the vehicle in Fortitude Valley.

The 43-year-old owner of the car and dog, Nathan McKeown, was last month charged with one count of breach of duty of care of animal by failing to provide under the Animal Protection Act.

Earlier this week, Queensland Police amended the charge to one count of injuring animals (causing injury or death) by night under the Criminal Code.

Police confirmed on Thursday that Mr McKeown had been hit with more charges including three of driving motor vehicle without a driver licence demerit points and one each of did drive under the influence (UIL) and serious obstruct police.

Mr McKeown will appear before a Brisbane court later this month.

Arnie and Mr McKeown’s ute had been reported stolen. Picture: Supplied

Investigators have alleged Mr McKeown drove the Toyota to Fortitude Valley shortly after 10.30pm on November 7, before leaving the car - with the dog inside - on foot.

Police allege the dog’s owner told his partner the Toyota was stolen the following morning, prompting her to report the incident to police.

Authorities claim the woman was not aware Mr McKeown had allegedly taken the car with the dog in the backseat.

The family previously shared their grief at Arnie’s death in a social media post.

“We sincerely want to thank everyone for all your help over the past week in the search for our boy Arnie,” the post read.

“Unfortunately there isn’t a better outcome and Arnie was found yesterday deceased, still in the back of the ute that was stolen.

“We are beyond devastated, he didn’t deserve to go like this. We had the best life with him and he's going to be so missed.”

The dog’s disappearance sparked an online petition calling on the Queensland government to introduce strengthened protections for pets, dubbed “Arnie’s Law”.

The petition has garnered traction online, gathering more than 96,000 signatures.

Originally published as Nathan McKeown hit with new charges after Arnie the German shepherd found dead in ute