Bears coach Dave Steckel made the announcement on Wednesday night at the team’s signing day party at Springfield Brewing Company.
Ruddick started the first two games for the Bears last season — both victories — before allegations surfaced on social media that he beat a 42-pound Australian shepherd (aka Aussie) he was watching for a friend.
The dog, Luca, was treated for a broken jaw and several cracked teeth, requiring surgery to repair the damage.
Steckel immediately suspended Ruddick for conduct detrimental to the team, and after a university investigation, Ruddick was allowed to return to the team, but could not travel with the team or play in games until the 2017 season.
The decision to allow him back was made with the stipulation that Ruddick abide by a “contract” before he would be allowed to return to full status with the team.
“We’ve released Breck Ruddick,” Steckel said Wednesday. “He broke his contract, so he’s gone.”
A university spokesman confirmed Ruddick is no longer a student at Missouri State.
Steckel said in September that the contract would include everything from academics to social environment to the football program.
The coach did not elaborate on what violations Ruddick committed to be dismissed.
Ruddick’s lawyer, Adam Woody, said the dog bit his client, drawing blood and forcing Ruddick to punch the dog in the mouth until it released his hand.
Mmm, yeah, no. Like nearly all dogs, they bite and release. Aussies do not "lock on" to people like some breeds.
Ruddick was charged in Springfield municipal court with two violations — cruelty to animals and dog at large — and pleaded guilty to the dog at large charge, with the animal cruelty charge deferred as part of a plea agreement.
Ruddick, a native of Marion, Arkansas, was required to complete 150 hours of community service, pay a fine of at least $500 and court costs and was placed on supervised probation and attend an anger management program. If he completes those tasks, the animal cruelty charge will be dropped.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Shelby Filbeck added 3 new photos.
September 23, 2016 ·
This is not my dog, but this story deserves to be heard. Earlier this week one of my close friends left her adorable sweet loving dog with Breck Ruddick. This was someone she trusted, this was a guy who has watched her dog before and who she has spent a good amount of time with as friends. She never thought leaving her 42 pound Australian Shepherd with Breck, a 200+ pound MSU football player, would lead to this. Never once did she, nor anyone else for that matter, believe that Breck could get so upset with this sweet dog that he would hit him in the jaw, not just once but three times.
After "loosing his cool" and hitting poor Luca he led him outside and let him run off, all alone and bleeding profusely. (More likely he took the dog outside and chased him off)
Breck told Katie that "Luca had ran off" leaving out the part about him beating the crap out of Luca. She spent the whole night looking for her dog. The next day a girl saw Katie's post on Facebook and explained that she had found Luca in a parking lot covered in blood. The girl was nice enough to take him home and attempted to clean him up. When he was returned to Katie, the next day, he was STILL bleeding. He was then rushed over to the vet where they found that his jaw had been broken and he would need surgery.
The next day Luca went in for surgery where it was found that his jaw bones were shattered (not just broken), he had to have 6 teeth pulled, which will be permanently gone forever and they had to keep him at the vets for two days instead of one.
He can no longer eat solid food and will have to be on an oatmeal based diet. That's when the vet explained to Katie that Luca had to have been hit more than once, with literally all of Breck's force or with some other object, because the trauma was so extensive it could not have been from one single punch.
This story makes me sick to my stomach, I love my own dog more than anything in the world and I can't even imagine what Katie is going through. No animal deserves to be treated this way, and no human should be capable of hurting a defenseless animal to this extent. Breck was careless and insensitive. He needs help and his actions need to be accounted for. The pictures below show how much pain Luca has went through and how his life will be forever altered by one heartless person. Please pray for this sweet dog and his owner.
(Springfield News Leader - Feb 1, 2017)
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