DENVER -- An Aurora pastor is under fire after pleading guilty to animal endangerment charges.

Keita Andrews, pastor of Colorado Community Church in Aurora, admitted he did not take his boxer dog Derby to a veterinarian despite the fact that the dog’s bones were protruding.

Aurora Animal Control officers found the dog roaming a neighborhood Dec. 15 after escaping Andrews’ back yard. Court records show Derby’s rib bones were visible and officers could feel the spaces between his ribs. A veterinarian estimated the dog was between 20 and 30 pounds underweight.

“He was extremely underweight,” said Renee Erb, a volunteer with Ho-Bo Boxer Rescue, which adopted Derby out to Andrews three years ago. Erb said Derby was downright emaciated.

But Andrews said Derby’s condition had been exaggerated. “Emaciated would be extreme, but he was underweight,” he said. Andrews said he fed Derby and his other two boxers, who officers deemed healthy, twice a day. He said he had noticed that Derby was not gaining weight, but after Derby was picked up by Animal Control, they determined the dog had a thyroid problem.

Dr. Wayne Kurth, a veterinarian who is now treating Derby at Hermosa Vet Clinic confirmed that the dog has a thyroid problem, but said typically a dog with such a condition will gain weight, not lose it. Kurth said the dog’s weight is indicative of neglect and malnourishment.

But Andrews said he is only guilty of not taking Derby to a veterinarian in a more timely manner. “I kept feeding and trying different foods to see if he would respond and so at that point I had not taken him to the vet, but it was very much the next step,” he said. Court records indicate Andrews did not take Derby to a veterinarian “because of negligence.”

Aurora Municipal Court dropped more serious animal cruelty charges against Andrews and instead charged him with endangering an animals health or life, meaning he committed an “act or omission which causes … unnecessary abuse or unjustifiable pain or suffering.” Andrews was also charged with failing to license the dog and allowing him to run at large.

Andrews pleaded guilty to the charges and agreed to turn Derby over to Ho-Bo Boxer Rescue. But rescue volunteers are still concerned that Andrews was allowed to keep his two other boxers.

“The concern is, will they get taken care of?” said Erb.