INDIANA -- Determined to kill the dog that bit his son in the face, a Michigan City, Indiana man stabbed and attempted to strangle the animal until he was stopped by police.
The dog was euthanized because of its injuries, said Sgt. Larry LaFlower, public information officer of the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.
The 29-year-old will be charged with felony cruelty to an animal, but LaFlower said police chose not to arrest him immediately, instead letting him stay with his son as he was treated at Porter Regional Hospital.
Police did not release information on the injured boy or the extent of his injuries. Porter County Animal Control is investigating the dog bite.
The suspect’s son and daughter were spending the weekend with his mother and stepfather. At about 7:20 p.m. Friday, the couple’s 1-1/2 year-old shepherd/chow mix was eating a bone when the boy lay down on the floor next to it, and the dog bit him in the face, according to the police report.
The family immediately took the boy to the hospital, and the father met them there. The suspect told police he became enraged when he saw his son’s injuries and left the hospital to kill the dog.
Family members notified police as to his intentions.
When he arrived at the home, in the 700 block of Capitol Road, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen, took the dog into the backyard and stabbed it in the side, he told officers.
When officers arrived, he had his arm around the animal’s throat and was choking it. The man was ordered at gunpoint to show his hands. The man complied, but continued to choke the dog.
The officer then drew his Taser and told the man to release the dog.
The dog was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic in Westville. Because of the extent of the dog's injuries, the owner decided to euthanize the dog.
(Sun Times - Oct 2, 2012)
