Case Details

Dog stabbed 12 times with steak knife
Cleveland, OH (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Mar 31, 2001
County: Cuyahoga
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Rose Sperk

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 3749
Classification: Stabbing
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior
Drugs or alcohol involved
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Rose Sperk, 36, stabbed her dog, Shady, after the dog bit her hand. The City Prosecutors are deciding whether to charge the woman who allegedly stabbed her dog a dozen times with a four inch steak knife.

Sperk, who lives on Fidelity Avenue, came home after a night of drinking with a friend. She let Shady outside. When the 12 year old dog wanted to come back inside, she picked up the dog and tied it to a pole in the basement.

After the dog bit Sperk's thumb and index finger she got a steak knife and stabbed Shady approximately twelve times.

Sperk then picked up the dog and put it outside in the backyard.

In a police report, Sperk said the dog makes her mad because it repeatedly soils the carpet. She was highly intoxicated and in an elated state, she seemed proud of stabbing her dog.

The police took Shady to a nearby animal hospital, the doctor said the wounds were mortal so Shady was put to sleep.

Cleveland police spokesman Lt Sharon MacKay said the city prosecutor's office would decide whether to file animal cruelty charges.

Case Updates

Rose Sperk, 36, Fidelity Avenue in Cleveland was found guilty and sentenced to 30 days in jail, pay a $500 fine, perform 200 hours of community service and pay $1,470 to the Animal Protective League for treatment and care of the dog she stabbed repeatedly with a kitchen knife.

The 12 year old Sheltie mix called Shady will be put up for adoption. The dog needed 300 stitches.

Sperk will serve her 30 days of jail time over the next seven months, reporting to the Cleveland House of Correction at 7:00 p.m. each Friday for 24-hour stints.

Sperk the mother of two girls read a statement saying she didn't plan to harm the dog.

The police said Sperk had been out drinking and came home to find the dog had soiled the carpet. She tied it to a pole in the basement and it bit her, so Sperk ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed the dog to kill it.

Her lawyer said the dog had snapped at her several times and bit through her thumbnail. She "lost it" and reached for a knife on the basement stairs to stab the dog to make it let go.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Aug 30, 2001
Update posted on Apr 14, 2005 - 12:01PM 

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References

Cleveland Plain Dealer - Apr 10, 2001

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