Pennsylvania: Anthony King beat and tortured his pit bull. Then police arrived and got some justice by tasing and pepper spraying King - and charging him with animal cruelty

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Hazleton man who beat his dog repeatedly resisted arrest when police took him into custody, court records say.

Anthony H. King, 23, faces four counts simple assault, two counts each disorderly conduct and animal cruelty and one count each resisting arrest and false identification to law enforcement.

He was arraigned Friday by Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker, Nanticoke, who set bail at 10 percent of $50,000. Unable to immediately post the money, King was taken to jail.

He was taken into custody, arrest papers state, after repeatedly resisting officers’ commands and pulling away from them while they attempted to detain him at 534 Seybert St., on Thursday around 8 p.m.

The struggle King put up with police resulted in additional officers responding, but they — and pepper spray — didn’t stop him from trying to get away from officers, court papers state, so a conducted electrical weapon, known by the brand name Taser, was deployed upon him and he was placed in handcuffs.

King denied harming the dog when police responded to the Seybert Street home, stating that he was only giving the dog a bath. But at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton while waiting with police to have the Taser probes removed and to be decontaminated from the pepper spray by medical staff, he admitted to beating the dog, arrest papers state, claiming it was his right.

He said he poured hot water over the dog’s face and in her eyes, according to officers.

Police said they responded to the address after receiving multiple reports from the public about a person beating a dog with a belt.

King initially refused to give officers his name when they arrived to investigate the claim, court papers state, and the dog, a brown pit bull named “Queen,” was found by police shaking and drooling in a submissive position, looking fearful.

Witnesses also told police they saw King hit the dog with a metal bucket and yank the dog by its choker chain and leash to the point where the dog’s legs were off the ground for over 30 seconds. Witnesses also saw him hitting the dog with a belt, police wrote.

Two police officers sustained minor injuries as they took King into custody, according to court records.

The dog was taken to the Hazleton Animal Shelter, which arranged for her to receive medical care.

(Standard Speaker - July 7, 2016)

Canada: Daniel Elliot charged with cruelty after letting choker chain grow into his dog's neck

CANADA -- A Vancouver Island man has been charged with animal cruelty after his dog's choke chain had to be surgically removed from its neck.

The SPCA responded to a call last February about a tethered young pit-bull cross in distress on Daniel Elliott's property near Ladysmith, B.C.

The SPCA says the dog was found to be extremely lethargic and suffering from an infected wound caused by the deeply embedded collar.

SPCA Const. Toni Morrison says the amount of discharge and odour from the infection should have been a clear sign that the dog was suffering.

She says the dog, now named Archer, has a new owner and lives with three cats.

Elliott faces up to two years behind bars, a fine of up to $75,000 and a lifetime ban on owning animals.

(Huffington Post - Jan 26, 2016)

Devon Holliman, 31, charged after dog found strangled to death

TENNESSEE -- A Montgomery County man has been charged with animal cruelty after a dog on his property was allegedly found strangled to death on a choke collar.

An arrest warrant states that an officer arrived on the property of 31-year-old Devon Holliman and found a dog that had been strangled to death due to the improper use of a choke collar and a runner. The officer also noticed another empty runner.

A neighbor confronted the officer and said they had removed the other dog for its safety and wanted the officer to take it with him.

The officer said there was no proper shelter for the dogs and neither one had a rabies tag.

Holliman was initially cited for the incident, which occurred in April of this year. However, after failing to appear in court, a warrant for his arrest was issued and his bond was set at $1,000.

(Clarksville Now - Dec 15, 2015)

Ohio: Lorain County dog killer, John Daughney, gets 6 months in county jail

OHIO -- Convicted dog killer John Wayne Daughney will spend the next six months behind bars stemming from the strangulation death of his pet, Memphis.

Daughney, 36, of 3106 Cromwell Drive, appeared March 25 in Lorain Municipal Court Judge Thomas Elwell’s courtroom, where he was sentenced to 180 days in jail on charges of killing or injuring animals and cruelty to companion animals.

 

Daughney pleaded no contest to the charges March 2 after being indicted on animal cruelty charges.

He was charged after police said he hung Memphis, a 130-pound mastiff, on the side of a trailer by its chain collar, causing it to choke to death.

Memphis was discovered by officers Jan. 31 in the area of Euclid Avenue and River Industrial Parkway.

During the investigation, while speaking with Daughney, officers discovered that he took in the animal, but said he didn’t want it anymore because it was (allegedly) violent to his other pets.

Prior to receiving his punishment, Daughney said he was remorseful for what he did and vowed to never do it again.

“I am very sorry and I regret what I have done,” Daughney said with tears welling up in his eyes. “On behalf of the court ... on behalf of the United States, I am sorry. I won’t do it no more.”

After seeing police photos of Memphis the day the canine was discovered, Lorain County Prosecutor Jeffrey Szabo urged Elwell to impose the maximum penalty on Daughney.

“I had the chance to view some pictures taken on the night of the incident and I wish I’d never seen them,” Szabo said. “I’ll probably remember them for the rest of my life.”

Given Daughney’s prior criminal background involving violence, Elwell said he had no choice but to sentence Daughney to six months of incarceration for the crime.

“I don’t understand what would go through a person’s mind that would make them do something like this to an innocent animal,” Elwell said. “It boggles my mind. I have no choice but to impose the maximum sentence.”

So is the judge saying he would've given him a slap on the wrist for strangling a poor animal to death if he hadn't already had previous convictions of assault??? 

Daughney is set to serve out his jail sentence at the Lorain County Correctional Facility.

(Morning Journal - March 25, 2015)

Earlier:

• Lorain man, John Wayne Daughney, pleads not guilty to dog's hanging