Yuma man, Anthony Allen Hultine, arrested on animal cruelty charges

UPDATE: Although Anthony Hultine faced jail time for shooting and burying a dog alive, Judge Maria Elena Cruz apparently felt sorry for him and gives him probation instead

ARIZONA -- A Yuma man has been arrested on felony charges of animal cruelty after allegedly shooting and attempting to bury his roommate's dog after he became angry at it for "making a mess" at their home.
 
According to Alfonzo Zavala, a spokesman for the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the 12400 Block of East County 8th Street at about 9:34 a.m. on Saturday in reference to a report of a canine having been shot, but still alive.

Zavala said upon their arrival on scene deputies met with the dog's current owner, who told them that he had found the black and white pit bull mix canine, believed to be eight to 12 months old, as a stray and decided to keep her after he couldn't find her previous owner.

The owner, Zavala said, also told deputies that he had traveled out of town last month and left the canine with his roommate. He stated that the roommate told him that he had become angry with his dog after she had “made a mess” at their home and took her out to the Blaisdell area where he shot the dog and attempted to bury her.

The dog was later found on April 26 in the 12400 block of E. County 8th Street by a second person who discovered that it had a gunshot wound. That person then made posts on social media in an attempt to locate her owner. The owner saw those posts and went to claim her.

The dog had suffered fractures to her maxillary sinus cavity, maxillary premolars and mandible.

Those injuries, Zavala said, are consistent with that of a gunshot wound. The dog was taken to a local veterinary clinic where she underwent surgery.

"The last word we got, which was two days ago, was that she was doing well and in stable condition," Zavala said.

Zavala said that on May 4 deputies served a search warrant at the home of the roommate suspected of shooting the dog and found weapons and ammunition.

As a result, Anthony Allen Hultine, 19, of Yuma, was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center on felony charges of animal cruelty. He was later released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to return to court for his arraignment Wednesday.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Sgt. Scott Bjornstad at YCSO at 928-783-4427 or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous.

(Yuma News - May 5, 2015)