A Portsmouth police officer and his wife have been charged with animal cruelty after they allegedly allowed a former police horse to starve.

Brian Christopher Davis, 34, and Jennifer Karen Davis, 33, of the 5000 block of Mineral Spring Road in Suffolk, are each charged with cruelty to animals and inadequate care of animals.

According to city spokeswoman Diana Klink, a new owner adopted the horse earlier this year and called Suffolk Animal Control on May 22 to say that the horse had been in poor condition upon adoption. The horse ultimately had to be euthanized.

The case was investigated and sent to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office for review, Klink said.

Portsmouth police spokeswoman Jan Clark wrote in an email that the department’s Professional Standards Unit is conducting an internal administrative investigation.