Puppy beaten to death
Hackensack, NJ (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 21, 1999
County: Bergen

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Eric Martindale

An environmental activist has been charged with beating his puppy to death. Police on found the badly bleeding Jack Russell terrier in the basement of Eric Martindale's house - and Martindale gone, authorities said. He was arrested as he returned home.

"I'm a good person with a bad temper," Martindale said from his house. "I hit the dog. I didn't mean to. I committed a crime. I deserve to go to jail."

He called the incident "a frustration type of thing."

"I'm severely allergic to the animal," Martindale said. "Three days before this happened, I had an asthma attack. I never had asthma before."

Martindale has been a public advocate whose projects include preserving pathways had recreational areas along the Hackensack River. He recently was chairman of the Hackensack River Parkway Committee.

On Sunday morning, Martindale's wife called police when she heard her husband throwing the 4-month old puppy around the basement after the couple had a fight about keeping the animal, police reports show.

Officers said the puppy was bleeding from the mouth and head, said Deputy Police Chief Ed Koeser. The animal's blood was all over the floor and walls.

The dog later died, authorities said.

Martindale was charged with cruelty to an animal, which is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, said Jason D. Peters, deputy chief of Bergen County chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Martindale was released from Bergen County Jail on $2,000 cash bail Monday after arraignment in Municipal Court.

He drew the wrath of both the SPCA and police for the alleged beating.

"There are a lot of things you can do before you throw a puppy against the wall," Koeser said.

The Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro accepts unwanted and stray animals. Some national pet store chains also hold adoption days, Peters said.

References

• Bergen NJ Record - Nov 23, 1999

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