"The dog's face is buried in the ground," the Easton man said in court Friday, later adding, "his limbs were dangling everywhere."
The dog owner, Alexis Torres, 32, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals, saying he was off his medication and doesn't remember what he did.
The Easton man alternately sobbed and sneered as the hearing unfolded, breaking down when District Judge Antonia Grifo ordered him to forfeit the dog to the Center for Animal Health and Welfare.
Soto called police, then followed Torres and videotaped him dragging the dog April 22 down Locust Street in Easton.
The puppy wound up in the care of veterinarian Alexis Mackiewicz. She said all four paws and its underbelly were scabbed and bleeding. The dog had multiple broken nails, scabs on its head, and injuries to its nose and chin.
The animal was covered in grease, which took three baths in dish detergent to remove. The injuries were so painful and vast the dog had to be sedated to treat them, she said.
She said the dog had roundworms. It had pressure wounds to its ankles and legs consistent with being held in a confined space, which can be torturous for a puppy that needs play and exercise.
"I don't recall what I did and I apologize," Torres told the veterinarian.
Torres arrived at the hearing an hour late with his mother and stepfather, who called to say they were taking a bus back to Easton from New York. Immediately when he sat down Torres started crying.
"I didn't mean to hurt my dog," he repeated throughout the hearing. When arresting officer David Costa handed Torres photos of the dog's injuries, Torres teared up and kissed one of the photos, saying, "My baby."
Torres said he suffers from ADHD and bipolar disorder and is on government disability. Grifo ordered him to pay a $750 fine, the maximum allowed by law, as well as $553 in restitution to Cummings Veterinary Hospital in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania.
Torres had to be warned to calm down by Costa during the hearing.
"Relax bro," said his stepfather, Rolando Vargas, from the courtroom gallery. "End of discussion. Pay the fine. No biggie."
Vargas offered to take the dog, saying he owns five Shih Tzus. The judge said the dog is now in the custody of the shelter, and it's up to the shelter who will get it.
Torres cried into his hands when the judge ordered the dog forfeited.
"I'm going to remember Easton," he sneered. He then spoke in rapid-fire Spanish and made threatening gestures when the judge briefly left the room.
When Grifo told Torres he can't own a dog for 90 days, he gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you, ma'am. You just made my day because I love animals."
"I believe you appreciate the seriousness of your crime," the judge said.
Soto said he couldn't believe what he saw and made a point of tracking down the dog and its owner so he could show police.
"The first thing I thought of was, 'What if this was a kid?'" Soto said. "His nose would be deteriorated."
The dog doesn't have a name, but city animal control officer Amy Gruber said police have started calling him "Socks" after he arrived in her care wearing bandages. The dog is recovering well, she said.
(lehighvalleylive.com - May 13, 2016)
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