 Chihuahua stabbed 17 times, nearly decapitated
Dallas, TX (US)Date: Apr 2004
County: Dallas
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Abuser/Suspect: Ray Cornelius Perkerson
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A 25-year-old Dallas man was sentenced to six years in prison for mutilating and killing a small dog, apparently in retaliation for $100 worth of drugs he believed was owed to him.
Ray Cornelius Perkerson, who also was ordered by state District Judge Mark Nancarrow to pay a $2,500 fine, had pleaded guilty and sought probation for the crime, which was committed in April during a burglary of a Pleasant Grove apartment.
Because the burglary occurred during another felony, the animal cruelty, Mr. Perkerson faced the possibility of life in prison. Four years ago, the Texas Legislature made certain acts of animal cruelty a felony.
Mr. Perkerson did not testify Friday, but his lawyer and parents argued that the violent attack on the animal was out of character for him and that he needed help to fight a drug habit, rather than a prison sentence.
Norman Clarke, the owner of the dog, a 4-year-old, long-haired Chihuahua, was unconvinced. Fefe, who weighed about four pounds, was stabbed 17 times, and her head was nearly decapitated.
"I think it was a very light sentence," Mr. Clarke said. "You can see it in his eyes, even today, he didn't care what he did. To me, my dog was like my child."
Cris Partida, Mr. Perkerson's lawyer, said her client was truly remorseful and that the incident had convinced him to seek help in kicking a drug habit. Ms. Partida had asked the judge to sentence Mr. Perkerson to probation so that he could seek extensive inpatient rehabilitation.
"My heart goes out to Mr. Clarke. I'm also a pet owner," Ms. Partida said. "But what happened was horrible testimony of what the judge and we see every day in this courthouse � what drugs can do."
Dallas police Officer Kenneth Chapin testified that Mr. Perkerson approached police responding to a call from Mr. Clarke's wife. The officer said Mr. Perkerson admitted he had killed the dog because he believed the woman owed him money for drugs that had been consumed by several people at the apartment earlier in the day.
Officer Chapin said Mr. Perkerson told police that he had broken into the house and taken several items � including clothes, a television and a DVD player. He told them he had hidden the items but returned to the apartment.
"We asked him, 'Why did you go back?' " Officer Chapin said. "He said 'I went back to kill the dog.' We asked him why? He said, 'I just felt like it was the right thing to do.' "
The officer said Mr. Perkerson described chasing the dog and stabbing it repeatedly with a kitchen knife. He said Mr. Perkerson placed the carcass close to the front door so it would be immediately seen when the owner returned.
Mr. Clarke said he is a long-distance truck driver and was out of town when the dog was killed. He said Fefe often would accompany him on long trips, but he had left her at home that day because he was training another driver.
Mr. Clarke said he had no doubt that Fefe did nothing to cause the attack on her. He said she was timid around strangers and often hid under the upstairs bed when people were around.
"She was so defenseless," Mr. Clarke said. "Fefe was my whole life."
Mr. Perkerson's mother said her son loved animals but that his drug habit had a major impact on his life.Ms. Partida told Judge Nancarrow that Mr. Perkerson's approaching the police officers at the scene was proof of his desire to change.
"He could have easily escaped, easily avoided detection," she said. "I believe this was his cry for help."
But prosecutor Brandon McCarthy told the judge that "the horrific nature of this crime should dictate the punishment."
"Is this the kind of person we want free among the rest of us? ... Let us not wait until this rage is unleashed on a person," Mr. McCarthy said. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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