Seeing eye dog punched and kicked
East Providence, RI (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, May 31, 1994
County: Providence

Disposition: Dismissed

Person of Interest: Thomas A. Caparco

Thomas Caparco, age 46 had been charged with cruelty to animals. He kicked, slapped, choked and swore at his Seeing Eye dog 2-year-old yellow Labrador, named Loggins.

Caparco is blind, but Judge Michael Higgins ordered the dog taken away from him after he was accused of beating the dog a second time. Caparco is on trial for the same charge already. The dog was placed in the custody of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

5 witnesses to testify against Caparco in court. One of whom was a cabdriver who said he saw the man punch his dog several times during a cab ride to a bar.

In September 1994 a district court judge threw out the animal cruelty charge and allowed Caparco to regain custody of his Seeing Eye dog.

References

• The Boston Globe

« RI State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Providence County, RI

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.