A man accused of setting a small dog ablaze says he is innocent and that he will fight the animal cruelty charges against him according to his court-appointed attorney.
While a smattering of protestors and pet owners from various animal rights groups gathered outside the courthouse with their pets on Tuesday, Denise Crawford said her client, Clint Crooks, 21, is determined to prove his innocence.
"He wants to fight," Crawford said. "He is proclaiming his innocence. I'm a dog lover. I have two dogs and two cats. I have turtles, I have fish and I love animals. But there are always two sides to every story, and I think at some point his side will be raised.
Crawford is not sure if she will remain on the case if Crooks is able to raise the $5,000 bail that's keeping him in the Harris County Jail. If Crooks does make bail, then he won't need a court-appointed lawyer.
Crawford said Crooks had "some defensible issues," though she declined to elaborate on them.
Crooks is charged with animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a possible punishment range of up to one year in jail and/or a $4,000 fine, said prosecutor Hazel Jones.
He is accused of setting the 12-pound Lhasa Apso -dubbed "Max" - on fire Aug 27 at an apartment complex at 8300 Hammerly in northwest Houston.
The dog, a stray that wandered around the apartment complex regularly, apparently irritated Crooks in some way, and he reacted by dousing it with lighter fluid and then setting it on fire, police and witnesses have said. With his fur burning, the dog followed a boy into his apartment. His mother extinguished the flames and called police.
The dog survived the extensive burns and has been treated with antibiotics and pain medication at the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter.
Stacey Wilbanks, a spokeswoman for the Houston SPCA, said the dog was doing better on Tuesday, but looking worse.
"The poor little guy. He actually looks a lot worse now than when he came in," Wilbanks said. "But that just means he's healing properly. Now, he has very discernible red blsiters along his back and it's obvious where the flames or flammable liquid were squirted on him because it's almost in lines."
Wilbanks said Max's full recovery will take at least a month, and that people have already started contacting the SPCA about adopting him. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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