Dog beaten to death, dumped in swimming pool
Coomera, QLD (AU)Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 13, 2006
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Someone clubbed a dalmation to death before throwing its body into a backyard swimming pool. The dog's owner, Eddie Toth, from Oxenford, is devastated by the brutal killing of the family pet Lex, just three days after he came home as an early Christmas gift.
Gold Coast criminologist, Wayne Petherick last night warned that the killer's next target could be a young child.
"Whoever did this must have a lot of anger in them," he said.
"Cruelty to animals is one of the most stable predictors of violence against other humans.
"Whoever did this could easily be set off by noisy kids."
The three-year-old pedigreed Dalmatian was at the bottom of the pool when the family returned from work on December 13.
Three gashes to the top of its head indicated he had been hit with a heavy object before he was thrown into the pool.
Distraught owner Eddie Toth said he could not believe someone could murder a family pet.
"Lex had been whimpering and crying because of his new surroundings, but no one came to us and complained about the noise, they just murdered him."
Mr Toth has printed up posters explaining what happened to Lex and is handing them out in the neighbourhood.
"We want people to know what happened to Lex and what sort of person is living among us," he said.
Mr Toth said Lex was killed between 6 and 10pm while he and his house mate Peter Bracko were at work.
"I came home with Peter's daughter Marissa because we work together, and when we realised Lex was missing, we went around the yard checking the fences with torches to see if he had escaped.
"Then Marissa saw Lex lying at the bottom of the pool.
"We were so upset and horrified that someone could do this to a harmless animal.
"It makes you wonder what else they are capable of, and we want this person to face the consequences of what they have done."
Mr Toth said the injuries to the top of the dog's head weren't consistent with it accidentally falling into the pool.
"We are certain the dog was murdered," he said.
"Lex had only been with us for three days, but in that time someone became so angry that they came into our yard and did this terrible thing."
He said when he first moved into the street four years ago, he had a cocker spaniel which was also barking because of its new surroundings.
"We received an anonymous note warning that something would be done if the dog didn't stop barking.
"We think that dog was also thrown into the pool, but it could swim, so we just kept it inside for the next six months until it learned not to bark and there were no more problems," he said.
Coomera police are investigating the dog's death. References
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