United Kingdom: Family speak of horror after beloved puppy was drowned in bathtub full of water by burglars

UNITED KINGDOM -- A family returned home to find their house had been ransacked by burglars who had drowned their seven-month-old puppy in a bathtub.

The heartbreaking discovery of Benji, the cockapoo, was found at the Great Yarmouth home of mother-of-two Susan Walker on Wednesday afternoon.

Benji, who had been with the family for five months, was found drowned in a bath at the home in Cobholm Close and is believed to have been killed by burglars, who stole a laptop, iPad, an ID card and allergy medication.

Miss Walker, 33, came home to find her home ransacked and Benji missing, then contacted her brother Gareth Deacon-Walker and partner Mark Phillips, 40.

After searching upstairs and having to kick the locked bathroom door down to get inside, Mr Deacon-Walker then found Benji's body, drowned in the bathtub.

He said: “Everything we lost is immaterial. The fact we lost the puppy is the most devastating thing.”

“I came straight down and told Mark to not go upstairs. That sight will haunt for the rest of my life.”

Miss Walker has yet to break the heartbreaking news to her children, Holly, six and Ethen, two.

She said: “I will never be able to go into that bathroom again. Benji was really playful and part of the family. I have not told the children what has happened. We have told them he has gone missing and police are helping us find him.

“Prison would be too good for the people whoever did this. I want them to feel the same suffering they have made us feel.

“There are no words to describe what I am feeling.”

She added that a police officer with 30 years service told her had never seen anything like it and added: “I am scared to be in the house on my own now and I am scared for my children.”

Mr Phillips said that after seeing Benji dead in the bath “he sat on the stairs and cried”.

The family contacted the police who have launched an inquiry into the burglary that led to the death of Benji, who was a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle.

Miss Walker had been visiting her mother at the time of the burglary.

Mr Phillips added: “All anyone can do to help is please give the police any information you have.”

Detective Sergeant Richard Wallis said: “This is particularly cruel crime and I would urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious behavior in the area at around the time of the burglary to come forward.”

Anyone with information should contact Great Yarmouth CID on 101.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

(greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk - April 6, 2017)

New York: Jesse Young sentenced to a year in the county jail after pleading guilty to torturing two cats to death

NEW YORK -- In Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, Jesse Alexander Young, 33, was sentenced to one year in jail and banned from owning pets (for this one-year) after pleading guilty to animal cruelty counts.

On Jan. 31, Jesse Young pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated animal cruelty for killing two cats belonging to his girlfriend, Kylie Rivers.

Reports say he had twisted the neck of one and drowned another in the summer of 2016 before putting their remains in their freezer.

"After drowning the first cat, 33-year-old Jesse Young allegedly killed a second one less than two months later. Young is accused of striking the second cat so hard that the poor animal went into convulsions. He then grabbed the cat by the neck and twisted until it the cat’s neck snapped." - petition

Mr. Young was also ordered to pay $618 in restitution for the necropsy of the cats.

(Watertown Daily Times - March 26, 2017)

Earlier:

• New York: Jesse Young, 33, pleaded guilty to drowning one cat in the bathtub and twisting a 2nd cat's neck, breaking it. He stored both dead cats in the freezer.

New York: Jesse Young, 33, pleaded guilty to drowning one cat in the bathtub and twisting a 2nd cat's neck, breaking it. He stored both dead cats in the freezer.

NEW YORK --  Jesse A. Young, 33, of Watertown, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Jefferson County Court to two counts of aggravated animal cruelty against his girlfriend’s cats.

On July 8, Young drowned one cat belonging to Kylie M. Rivers in their bathtub before bagging the animal’s remains and putting it in their freezer.

On Aug. 20, Young killed another cat belonging to Ms. Rivers by twisting its neck until it broke.

Young also bagged the second cat’s remains before putting them in the freezer.

He is expected to be sentenced to serve one year in the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building, with sentencing scheduled for March 22.

(Watertown Daily News - Feb 2, 2017)

Tennessee: Timothy Martel, 36, got mad at his cat so he drowned it in the bathtub, say police

TENNESSEE -- A Nashville man is being accused of drowning his cat in a bathtub is now charged with aggravated animal cruelty, Metro police say.

According to an arrest affidavit, a Metro Animal Care and Control Officer responded to a call to have a talk with Timothy Martel about a cat bite he had received.

Martel reportedly explained he has anger issues and his cat had been hiding from him.

According to the affidavit, the 36-year-old moron told the officer that he then beat his cat, which bit him.

In response, Martel went on to explain that he then drowned the cat in a bathtub. He also reportedly kept the deceased cat in a bag and showed it to the animal control officer.

The cat’s body was immediately taken to the Kord Diagnostic Laboratory for a necropsy.

Martel is now charged with aggravated animal cruelty. His bond is set at $35,000 and he is due in court on Thursday.

(Thebestcatpage.com - Dec 17, 2016)

Texas: Joshua Fortier is accused of killing his puppy, which was found floating dead in a bathtub full of water.

TEXAS -- The Austin Police Department has issued a warrant for Joshua Paul Fortier. Fortier is suspected of committing the offense of cruelty to non-livestock animals. Fortier is accused of feeding his dog a bottle of rubbing alcohol after ingesting LSD, synthetic marijuana, and ecstasy.

According to the arrest warrant, Fortier and his girlfriend of one year, Kayla Reed, were living together in an apartment in the 2200 block of W. William Cannon Drive. Fortier and Reed had adopted a dog together in November of 2015 from the rescue group, Austin Pets Alive. The dog, identified as a brown and black neutered male American Blue Heeler mix, was only about three months old at the time.

On May 5, 2016, Reed came home from school and found Fortier standing at the open front door of their apartment. Fortier was crying and telling Reed that she would not like what he had done.

According to official documents, Reed then entered the home and found Kano floating dead in a bathtub full of water. She also found an open and empty bottle of rubbing alcohol on the floor near the dog's water bowl. Reed then went to confront Fortier but discovered he had left the apartment  on foot without his phone or car keys.

Several hours later, Fortier flagged down an Austin police officer at a gas station on Manchaca Road, approximately 1.5 miles away from his apartment. Fortier told officers that he needed help, that he needed a job, and that he had killed his dog. He told officers that he had killed his dog by feeding it a bottle of rubbing alcohol and that he had smoked marijuana from a person he barely knew.

The officers believed that Fortier may have smoked synthetic marijuana and was having hallucinations due to the substance. They also believed that Fortier was a danger to himself and/or others and placed him under a Peace Officer Emergency Detention for mental health evaluation.

According to official documents, Fortier was found to be on drugs at the time of this incident. It was found that Fortier had been ingesting LSD, synthetic marijuana, and ecstasy. Fortier admitted to doctors that he had killed his dog Kano and at one time stated that he killed the dog because it was a demon. Fortier spent ten days in a mental hospital was released once he was no longer considered a danger to himself or others.

Police officers went and spoke with Fortier's neighbors who stated they had seen Kano the previous day and that he was perfectly healthy. Another neighbor stated that prior to Reed coming home, he heard a loud thump from inside the apartment and then keard Kano crying/whimpering. This neighbor also stated that after he heard Kano crying, Fortier had walked into the neighbor's apartment unannounced and completely naked.

The neighbor stated that Fortier appeared to be disoriented as if on drugs.

The neighbor told Fortier that he was in the wrong apartment. He then gave Fortier a shirt and shorts and told him to leave. Fortier left and a shot time later Reed returned home from school.

Austin Pets Alive has released the following statement regarding the incident:

Austin Pets Alive! has recently learned about the tragic killing of Kano. We are heartsick that this has happened to one of our graduates. Thankfully the court system is pursuing justice for Kano and we hope it will exhaust every option to hold this person accountable for a horrific crime. Pets are at the mercy of the decisions of their humans and it is vital, for the sake of pets and people alike that people are not allowed to get away with endangering them.

APD has issued a warrant for Joshua Paul Fortier's arrest. He is accused of committing cruelty to non-livestock animals when he knowingly, or recklessly tortured an animal. Anyone with information about Fortier is asked to contact the Austin Police Department.

(Fox 7 - Aug 2, 2016)

Colorado: Fawn rescued from Evergreen bathtub by Jefferson County deputies

COLORADO -- Living in the foothills, you expect to see some wildlife, but maybe not inside your own home.

On Tuesday night, an Evergreen family noticed a fawn stuck inside their fence trying to break free. The family tried to herd the fawn out of the yard but instead, the baby deer ran into the open sliding glass door.

The two men chased the deer around the house until they were able to corner it in the bathtub.

Fortunately, the fawn only had a cut on its forehead and remained calm until the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office arrived to swaddle the fawn and set it free.

"They kindly got her out of the tub and back outside safely where she scampered off," the sheriff's office said on its Facebook page. "We hope she finds her four--legged family again soon!"

"It is a wild animal and we need to make sure we distance ourselves from them as much as possible to minimize contact like this. The fortunate thing in this situation is the animal is unharmed and was able to be re-released," Deputy Skyler Steele said.

Steele advised residents who encounter wild animals to avoid contact and immediately call law enforcement.

 

 

(KDVR - June 15, 2016)

Arkansas: Alex Webb drowned friend's dog, claimed it was 'possessed' say police. He was convicted of killing a kitten in 2011.

ARKANSAS -- Police say a man drowned a friend's dog because it was "possessed."

Police arrested 23-year-old Alex Webb Sunday morning on charges of aggravated animal cruelty.

According to a police report, Fayetteville police were called to a residence on 15th Street after hearing that a man had drowned a dog.

Police arrived on scene to find the dog's owner, Steven Grudzien, told police Webb had told him on Friday that his dog, named Happy, was "possessed" and had to die.

The report indicated the three men, including Webb and the dog's owner, had gone to a business in downtown Fayetteville on Saturday afternoon. After noticing Webb was missing, the man asked the store owner where he was, and the owner told him Webb had gone out the back door and left his phone in the store.

When the dog's owner came back to their residence, he found Happy drowned in the bathtub, according to the report.

“He murdered my dog,” Grudzien said. “He drowned my dog in a bathtub, and he deserves to go to jail for it.”

A witness told police Webb admitted to drowning the dog.

Police were unable to locate the dog's body.

“He tried to hide the truth from me,” Grudzien said. “He tried to make it out as the dog ran away. But my dog does not run away.”

The report said a pair of jeans and a T-shirt belonging to Webb were found wet, but Webb denied drowning the dog.

Scratch marks were found on the floor of the bathtub, according to the report.

“He handed me a knife with the point pointed at him, and said, ‘Do what you will,’” Grudzien said.

“And I turned around and I put the knife down on the table, and I just said, ‘No, dude, just tell me what you did.’”

Grudzien said he and a friend may search for the dog’s remains later this week, but said Webb is not welcome back at the house.

ALEX WEBB KILLED A KITTEN IN 2011
Webb has a previous charge of animal cruelty in 2011. The report says he admitted he had killed a kitten.

He admitted that he had killed a kitten and eerily made a motion as if he were wringing the poor creature’s neck, according to Channel KY3.

He is being held on a $3,500 bond and his next court date is set for Tuesday.

ARREST INFO:
Name: Alex Webb
Gender: Male
Race: white
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 175 lbs
Age at Arrest: 23
Booked By: Washington County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
Booked Date: 06/07/2015
Charges:
AGGRAVATED ANIMAL CRUELTY
WASHINGTON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
2015-07-10 07:45
RULE 8.1 HEARING
WASHINGTON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
2015-06-08 07:45

(4029TV - June 7, 2015)

Florida: Kyle Hall, 24, charged with beating English Bulldog puppy with shotgun then tried to drown him in the bathtub

FLORIDA -- The cries of the puppy as Kyle Hall was trying to kill him were horrendous, says the woman.

A Port St. Lucie man held an English Bulldog puppy’s head under water after it started to howl and cry as he beat it with a shotgun because it had destroyed items in his home and defecated on the floor, police said.

Kyle Romain Hall

When a woman intervened, he threatened her with a knife and aimed the shotgun at her, police said.

Kyle Romain Hall, 24, who lives in the 300 block of Southeast Walton Lake Drive, was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and animal cruelty, police said.

He remained at the St. Lucie County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $85,000 in bond.

After Hall allegedly aimed the gun at her, the woman fled and called police.

Officers arrived to find the dog, Scrappy, barely conscious, dazed and unresponsive.

The dog had head injuries and was taken to a veterinarian.

(TC Palm - April 10, 2014)