Thyren Justus was charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal-torture after a neighbor reported hearing a dog barking and crying amid loud banging and stomping noises early Sunday from the apartment in the 3500 block of Wheeler Street, near Lemmon Avenue.
Police, who found a trail of dog feces when they arrived, said Justus was crying and told them, "My dog is dead."
Justus, who had returned from the Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade before the incident was reported, told police contradictory stories, according to a warrant.
He claimed that the dog had defecated in its kennel and he had scolded the dog by "popping it on the nose" and shaking it.
Lawyer Pete Schulte, who represents Justus, urged people to withhold judgment about his client "until all the facts are known."
“Allegations involving animals, especially pets, understandably always draw strong emotions. Just as with any citizen accused of a crime, Thyren is innocent of this allegation until if proven in a court of law."
Justus had owned the dog for six months.
(Dallas News - March 21, 2016)
2017 UPDATE:
