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Case #1589 Rating: 3.7 out of 5
Dog beaten with weight-lifting equipment
Tigard, OR (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jul 11, 2003
County: Washington
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Thomas Laquan Williams
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Tigard police have arrested a man they say nearly beat a dog to death by using weight-lifting equipment. Thomas Williams is charged with animal abuse. Neighbors had called police, saying they could hear a dog squealing in pain for several minutes. Officers found the dog lying motionless with a badly broken leg.
The dog must now undergo surgery which will cost around $1,700. If you would like to send a donation to help towards medical expenses, contact the Tigard Police.
Case UpdatesWilliams pleaded guilty Thursday to beating his dog and was sentenced to four years' probation for breaking the leg of Angel, his 1-year-old female black Labrador/Rottweiler mix. Under state statute, he cannot have a pet for 15 years.
"I lost my temper and injured my dog," he wrote.
Williams told Washington County Circuit Judge Michael J. McElligott he had anger control problems when he did drugs.
"I apologize to the court, I look forward to getting help," Williams said. "I don't like living with anger."
Williams served a year in prison for assaulting a girlfriend and three weeks ago was sent to prison for two years for violating his parole on a drug conviction. The probation for animal abuse will be served after he gets out of prison.
McKey said even if Williams' criminal history had been worse, aggravated animal abuse carries no jail time.
"That's probably not adequate," said Kim Rissel, who cared for Angel for two months on her farm in Aurora after the dog's surgery at Frontier Veterinary Hospital in Hillsboro.
The judge ordered Williams to pay $1,785 to the hospital, even though people donated more than $6,000 for Angel's medical care after the dog's plight was publicized. The extra money went to other emergency animal-care facilities.
Read more: The Oregonian | | Update posted on Jun 11, 2004 - 7:38AM |
Tuesday, Williams pleaded not guilty to the charge and indicated that he would retain a lawyer. Williams' next hearing is Aug. 22.
Tigard police asked the public to help pay for the dog's $2,000 in medical bills. Donations covered the costs within a few days. Waiting for his arraignment Tuesday, Williams seemed to have grown accustomed to the media attention surrounding his case. Greeting reporters with a smile, Williams expressed disbelief at how the events surrounding what he calls an accident have progressed.
"I guess you can't have accidents anymore," he said, sitting next to his pregnant fiancee. Shaking his head he said, "God's on my side, man."
Williams, 31, says the accident happened when Angel, hearing him grunt, got behind him while he was lifting weights. He then lost his footing, he said, and dropped the weight on the dog.
"It was a total accident," he said, "I'm not an animal."
Michelle Antico, a Hillsboro English as Second Language teacher, attended the arraignment, she said, to monitor the case and to represent the dog as well as the neighbor who reported the alleged abuse. | | Update posted on Jul 27, 2003 - 10:04AM |
References« OR State Animal Cruelty Map
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