A 14-year-old boy was charged with felony first-degree animal cruelty this week after he admitted to police he hanged a friend�s dog on April 10 because he thought it was suffering.
The dog survived because it was saved by two neighborhood kids who witnessed the crime. Their grandmother called the police.
According to Federal Way Police, the dog was being cared for by the suspect�s family while the owner found accommodations. How long the dog stayed with the family was unknown, but court records state the dog�s owner is homeless.
At about 3:50 p.m. on April 10, police were called to the 28700 block of 30th Avenue South, where the dog was after being rescued by two witnesses 12 and 16 years old. They told police they had seen a neighborhood boy hang the dog, a spaniel mix named Junior, from a tree.
After the suspect ran away, the older witness used a lighter to burn through material used to hang the dog, according to court documents. The witnesses told police blood was coming from the dog�s mouth and nose. The dog started to breathe after it was cut loose, and the children led it to their grandmother�s house.
The grandmother told police she had seen the suspect walk by with the dog and that he said he was going to hang it. Her grandchildren followed him because they thought he would hurt the animal.
While police were at the scene, the grandmother pointed out the suspect, who fled from but was caught.
At the police station, the suspect told officers he didn�t want the dog to suffer or get hit by a car like the owner�s previous dog, that he didn�t believe the owner was going to come back for the animal, and that made the suspect the owner and he could end the dog�s life.
King County Animal Services examined the dog and returned it to its owner.
The boy was released to his mother, who came to the police station, police spokeswoman Stacy Flores said.
The county juvenile detention system has a protocol for who they will hold behind bars, and the suspect didn�t qualify, she said. Flores said having witnesses of the crime helped authorities catch the suspect. Case UpdatesA 14-year-old boy was sentenced Thursday to 30 days of detention after he admitted hanging a dog from a tree.
The dog survived after two other youngsters found and rescued it.
The Federal Way boy apologized before pleading guilty before Judge Philip Hubbard Jr., in King County Juvenile Court. The boy was also given a year of community supervision and counseling.
"Animal cruelty is the tip of the iceberg," Hubbard said. "I think the report indicated problems at home, things at school are very worrisome - possibly indicate a disturbed young man."
The boy was arrested in April after taking his neighbor's spaniel mix to some woods near his home in the suburb south of Seattle. The boy's family had been caring for the dog.
After its rescue, the dog was examined by King County Animal Services and released back to its owner.
"We'd like a stiffer penalty, but within the parameters of what they're allowed to do, we think the judge took this as serious as he should have," said Rita Morgan with Pasado's Safe Haven, an animal welfare group.
The 14-year-old will spend the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.
The 16-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl who saved the dog were given a $1,000 check by Pasado's Safe Haven. | Source: KOMO News - May 4, 2006
Update posted on May 6, 2006 - 5:09PM |
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