Saturday, December 7, 2013

Boulder police: Boyfriend of alleged puppy abuser strangled other dog

COLORADO -- The boyfriend of a Boulder woman arrested last month on a felony charge of cruelty to animals turned himself in to police for the same crime Friday after police say he strangled a French Bulldog puppy this summer that later died of its injuries.

Andrew Etzler, 24, was arrested Friday at the Boulder County Jail on suspicion of cruelty to animals, according to a news release issued by Boulder police.

Police say Etzler on July 10 brought the 8-week-old puppy, named Genji, to a local veterinary clinic.

The vet said the dog was unconscious when Etzler brought it to the facility and had injuries consistent with strangulation. The puppy later died.

The vet said Etzler denied choking the puppy but admitted he had become angry after the animal defecated and urinated in his bed, and he had showered the dog off twice, once in cold water, according to police.

Etzler appeared "jittery" and "agitated" while at the clinic, the vet said. The vet felt threatened by his behavior and thought he may have been on drugs.

Etzler is "romantically involved" with Caitlin Lesko, 24, who Thursday was formally charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge in connection to her alleged neglect of a French bulldog puppy named Bamboo, police say.




Lesko, who is free on $2,500 bond, was arrested in November. She brought then-3-month-old Bamboo, suffering from two broken legs and burns to half his stomach, to the South Boulder Animal Hospital on Oct. 29, where employees later called police to report that the dog appeared to have been neglected.

It was during the investigation into Lesko's actions, and Etzler's possible involvement, that Boulder animal control officers learned of Genji's death, police said.

Bamboo, who was confiscated by police and taken to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, has fully recovered from his injuries and been adopted by new owners, according to Boulder animal control supervisor Janee Boswell.


Anyone with additional information about the cases against Etzler or Lesko is asked to contact Boswell at 303-441-4385. Information can be provided anonymously  by calling 800-222-8477 or by visiting www.crimeshurt.com.

(Daily Camera - Dec 6, 2013)

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