 Puppy kicked, thrown and beaten
Longview, TX (US)Date: Mar 22, 2002
County: Gregg
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Abuser/Suspect: Lee Michael Rhea
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Lee Michael Rhea, 23 was sentenced to a year in jail after he admitted to angrily throwing his girlfriend's puppy, (Pretty Boy) into a wall twice and once over a fence. He denied that he also beat and kicked the 6 month old Boston Terrier bloody earlier. However, the police described Rhea treatment of the dog as torture and lasted as long as three hours. Rhea pleaded guilty to a felony charge of animal cruelty.
Much of the state's case rested on the testimony of the dog owner, Brandi Michelle White, whose account was bolstered by witness statements and police reports. The March incident ended their rocky three-month relationship.
White told the judge that Rhea was angry because the dog would not come out of his kennel for a walk. She said Rhea also told her the puppy had bitten him. White testified the dog had previously suffered a broken leg � an injury she said Rhea told her occurred when he had thrown the puppy onto a concrete patio.
Rhea denied breaking the dog's leg. Testifying about the March incident, he said he "slapped" Pretty Boy because the dog had urinated on the floor and that White got angry because he was disciplining the dog, and started hitting him. He said he threw the dog at her "defensively" and didn't mean for it to hit the wall. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References | Longview News-Journal, dtd August 7, 2002 |
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