Police Collar Man Who Blamed Fire on His Dog

A man framed his dog for a house fire so that he could collect the insurance and pay off his debts, state police said.

Michael Boltz, 37, singed his dog’s tail and pushed a candle against a curtain in his home Feb. 16, according to authorities.

He was arrested and charged Wednesday with arson, cruelty to animals and other offenses, and released on bail.

Boltz told police that he had fallen asleep with four candles burning in his living room, and was awakened by his dog’s barking.

In March, however, Boltz admitted to his former fiancee that he burned his dog to make it look like Jake, a 9-year-old Rottweiler-husky mix, had accidentally knocked over a candle and ignited the blaze, police said.

Boltz’s property had been scheduled for a sheriff’s sale because he had fallen behind on the mortgage. After the fire, he received almost $145,000 from his insurance company.