Cat intentionally torn apart by dogs
Collinsville, IL (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jun 10, 2011
County: Madison

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Denis Lee Soto

Authorities called it a case of animal abuse so heinous, they charged the suspect with a felony.

Denis Soto, 47, of Madison County, allegedly ordered his two German Shepherd dogs to attack and kill a passing cat, in front of neighborhood children.

He was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and jailed on $15,000 bond.

He was free on that bond Monday night and back home with his dogs.

The dogs seemed friendly as a Fox 2 crew approached Soto's home.

A woman there confirmed he'd bonded out of jail but said he'd have no comment on the charges.

As far as investigators knew, the dogs only became aggressive when children said Soto ordered them to attack.

"They observed Mr. Soto tell his dogs to get a cat that was walking across the lot," said Lt. Mike Dixon of the Madison County Sheriff's Department. "The cat fled to a dumpster according the children...as it came back out, Mr. Soto again, ordered, commanded his dogs to get the cat."

He said it happened friday night in a vacant lot in the 3200 block of VFW lane in State Park, IL, outside of Collsinsville near the Fairmount Park Race Track.

He said when two children became upset and tried ordering the dogs to leave the cat alone, the dogs listened, but then Soto intervened.

"Mr. Soto once again ordered his dogs to get the cat. The two dogs began biting the cat on different parts of the body, they both had hold of it. The juvenile described it to me that they were playing tug of war with the cat. Mr. Soto, was at that point, laughing, according to one of the juveniles," Dixon said.

The cat died. Dixon said it had no collar or tag. Investigators didn't know whether it was someone's pet or a stray.

"One of the children was 8 years old," Dixon said. "Obviously, this is not something you want to see as an 8 year old child: 2 dogs attacking a cat and a grown person, setting an example to attack this cat, that could be anybody's animal."

When asked what would happen to the dogs, Dixon said that was still part of the ongoing investigation.

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