MICHIGAN -- After a 3-month-old puppy ate his hamburger, an Ithaca man allegedly threw the dog off the porch, shattering his paw.
A warrant is being issued against the 33-year-old man who police say committed the act Sunday in front of three children, said Gratiot County Prosecutor Keith Kushion.
He is being charged with torturing or maiming an animal, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
The puppy, an Australian shepherd named “Fatboy,” belongs to the mother of the woman who lives in the residence with her three kids.
Fatboy was staying at the home because the woman’s grandchildren had become attached to him, Kushion said.
The man was staying at the home as well.
Kushion said that after the man discovered that the puppy had eaten his hamburger, he allegedly picked him up by the neck, took him to the porch and then threw him off.
Fatboy landed on a spare tire and his paw was shattered.
The children, ages 8,9, and 10 witnessed the incident and called their mother who was working, Kushion said. The children’s aunt reported it to the police.
The puppy was taken to the vet and is expected to recover, he said.
Kushion said the man confessed to police that he is an illegal alien. He has a residency card, but it’s fake.
“We are checking on his status now,” he said.
(Morning Sun - July 22, 2013)
