Puppy stuffed in plastic bag, beaten, thrown
Houston, TX (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Aug 20, 2003
County: Harris
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged:
» 12 year old boy
» 13 year old boy
Two young boys are accused of brutally beating a puppy. Charges were officially filed against the boys Friday afternoon.
Vets at the SPCA say they do not know if the puppy is going to survive. She was not only beaten and thrown against a wall, she was also shot with a BB gun. For now the five-month-old German Shepherd/Doberman mix is heavily sedated.
"This little dog is seriously injured. It is very stiff, sore, painful, very painful for this dog to walk," said Dr. Courtney Forbes. "It has a fever. On blood work we've noticed that it has a very intense infection that's developing. It has anemia and loss of blood protein. This dog is seriously ill."
Houston police say the attack happened on Wednesday. They say someone called them when witnesses saw the beating taking place.
SPCA Investigator Jim Boller explained, "Two juveniles were found to stuff a puppy into a plastic bag and beat it with a stick, and throw it up against a wall."
The boys are 12 and 13 years old. The SPCA pursued criminal charges against the boys and got them. The charges were filed Friday afternoon.
"The charges that's been filed is a class A misdemeanor, cruelty to animals," said Assistant District Attorney Ann Johnson. "Part of that was based on the information that had come in at the time that the charges were filed and how the dog was doing. It's our understanding that the dog has actually gotten worse in the last few days as a result of the injuries."
If found guilty, the boys could be put on probation at home, put in a detention center, or even under the care of the Texas Youth Commission. But assistant DA's say that when a juvenile is found guilty of cruelty to animals, it raises a red flag. That child must, by law, have psychological testing and counseling.
Assistant District Attorney Kris Moore stressed, "We all think it's important, because a child who would hurt an animal would probably hurt another child. And the mental health professionals tell us that children who are cruel to animals are potentially very dangerous. It's potentially an indicator of a very disturbed child."
An investigation is underway, but if the dog dies, more serious charges could be considered. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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