Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Puppy beaten to death

Puppy beaten to death
Glendale, AZ (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Nov 9, 2005
County: Maricopa
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Eric Anthony Ross

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Case ID: 6438

Classification: Beating

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

View more cases in AZ (US)

Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior

Drugs or alcohol involved

A Phoenix man suspected of assaulting his girlfriend Thursday was arrested on allegations that he punched the couple's 3-month-old Jack Russell terrier to death for barking, Glendale authorities said.

Eric Ross, 22, was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Interstate 17 near Anthem, police said.

Police allege that on early Thursday, Ross assaulted his girlfriend at his apartment. He had come after investigation earlier last month, when his girlfriend dropped off the puppy, Mila, at an emergency animal clinic in Peoria. She told authorities that Ross had gotten angry at the animal because it was barking.

"Ross then picked the puppy up by its mouth and punched the puppy repeatedly in the stomach area with a closed fist," said Officer Mike Pe�a, a Glendale police spokesman.

The veterinarian on duty during the Nov. 9 dropoff contacted Glendale police because the alleged abuse took placed at Ross' former apartment in the 5900 block of West Olive Avenue, Pe�a said. The vet called back a short time later saying the puppy had died, he said.

The animal-abuse case languished because the couple moved away, and authorities couldn't follow up. Following Thursday's accusation that Ross assaulted the girlfriend, police arrested him and booked in a Maricopa County jail on charges of animal cruelty, Pe�a said. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment, the officer said.

The alleged assault on the girlfriend was being investigated by Phoenix police.

Case Updates

Eric Anthony Ross was sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court to three months in jail after pleading guilty to charges of animal cruelty and possession of marijuana.

Ross, who turns 23 on Friday, received a $1,350 fine, was placed on three years' probation and was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.

Glendale police said the investigation began Nov. 9 after his girlfriend dropped off the 3-month-old Jack Russell terrier at an animal clinic in Peoria, where it died.

Source: AZCentral - June 7, 2006
Update posted on Jun 7, 2006 - 10:23PM

Back to Top

A man arrested by Glendale police in the punching death of a barking puppy has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. Eric Anthony Ross, 22, of Phoenix, was taken into custody Dec. 9 after a monthlong investigation in the case.

Ross, who is free without bail, will face an array of sentencing options, including probation and incarceration, when he is sentenced June 1 in Superior Court.

The probe began Nov. 9 after his girlfriend dropped off the puppy, Mila, a 3-month-old Jack Russell terrier, at an animal clinic in Peoria.

The woman told authorities that Ross had gotten angry at the animal because it was barking, said Officer Mike Pe�a, a Glendale police spokesman.

"Ross then picked up the puppy by its mouth and punched the puppy repeatedly in the stomach area with a closed fist," Pe�a said shortly after Ross' arrest.

The veterinarian on duty at the clinic contacted Glendale police because the alleged abuse took place at Ross' apartment in the 5900 block of West Olive Avenue in Glendale, Pe�a said.

The vet called back a short time later saying the puppy had died, he said.

While police were investigating the puppy's death, Ross and the girlfriend moved to a Phoenix apartment.

Ross was arrested during a traffic stop in Anthem. Phoenix police said they later found marijuana in Ross' new apartment in the 12200 block of North 21st Avenue.

He pleaded guilty April 20 to an animal-cruelty charge that can be designated by the court as a felony or misdemeanor.

Ross also pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and admitted violating his probation in a previous marijuana case, according to Superior Court records.

Source: Arizona Republic - April 28, 2006
Update posted on Apr 28, 2006 - 3:24PM

Back to Top

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Add this case to:

Del.icio.us

Digg

Furl

References

	KPHO - Dec 8, 2005
	Arizona Republic - Dec 8, 2005

« AZ State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Puppy beaten to deathGlendale, AZ (US)

Case Updates

Neighborhood Map

References

Puppy beaten to death
Glendale, AZ (US)