Louisiana: Police say while pet sitting a friend's Yorkie, Sam Smith tortured him by spraying him with hot water, ripping out his fur then locking him inside the freezer

LOUISIANA -- A West Monroe man has been arrested for animal cruelty after he agreed to pet sit for a friend and then tortured and "mutilated" her tiny Yorkie.

Samuel Smith, 24 of West Monroe, was arrested Thursday around 9:00 p.m.

According to the report, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office spoke with the victim who stated she left her Yorkshire Terrier named Bitty Boo in the care of her friend Sam Smith at her residence at the Ashford Apartments on December 13, 2017.

Less than two hours later, she received a call from Smith saying her dog left the apartment without his knowledge and returned with injuries to his face.

The dog had severe, bloody injuries to his face and head as well as missing skin and hair. His eyes were also swollen and injured.

The dog was taken to a nearby veterinarian's office for treatment and at this time it is unknown if the damage to its eyes will be permanent.

The dog's owner, Sara Durbin, said she initially thought it was either a horrible accident or that some unknown person had hurt her tiny dog and that Bitty Boo escaped and made his way back home. She never suspected her friend Sam Smith of being the abuser.

 

 

However, later Sara found a chunk of Bitty Boo's fur inside her freezer. She said even then it didn't dawn on her what had happened. She said she thought to herself, "What's that doing in there?" But then she discovered more of Bitty Boo's fur inside the freezer as well as frozen blood spatter inside.

She said the fur didn't appear to have been cut off her dog as you would see with fur that's been cut off with scissors; it appeared to have been brutally yanked out of the dog's head.

On December 14, 2017, deputies met with Smith.

He admitted to spraying the dog with hot water in the bathroom of the apartment. Smith also stated he then carried the dog into the kitchen and shoved him inside the freezer. He claims that he only left Bitty Boo inside the freezer "for about 30 seconds".

The owner said the suspect also used a hair dryer on the dog after he was removed from the freezer.

It was either the boiling hot water or the hair dryer that caused the burn-type injuries to the dog's face (as well as the injury from having all of its hair forcefully jerked from its head and face - look at that dog's face. He wasn't able to yank all that fur out in one attempt. He held this little dog down and repeatedly grabbed chunks of hair and yanked, then yanked, then yanked, over and over again while the tiny dog cried and struggled).

 

 

Smith reportedly told police he did not like the dog but did not mean to mutilate it. The affidavit states, "arrestee described his actions as just 'messing' with the dog."

When he realized how much he had injured the little dog by torturing it, that's when he called the owner, Sara, and made up the lie that Bitty Boo had escaped the apartment and then suddenly shown back up with these horrific injuries.

Sara said she'd talked with mutual friends and "they don't understand either. None of us saw any signs that he was even capable of doing something like this".

I guess it's a good thing he panicked and called her so soon. Otherwise, the tiny dog may have been tortured for days before he finally killed him and disposed of his body. Then he could have simply lied to Sara, the owner, and told her Bitty Boo ran away - and they never would have found his body and Sara would never have known that her friend is a psychopath who enjoys torturing and killing defenseless animals.

Smith has been booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on one count of aggravated animal cruelty.

His bond has been set at $5,000.

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ARREST INFORMATION:

Full name: Samuel Clayton Smith

Race: White

Sex: Male

Birthdate: 05/12/1993

Address: West Monroe, Louisiana 71291

Booking Date: 12/14/2017

Booking Time: 11:29 PM

Release Date: 12/15/2017

Release Time: 3:22 PM

Prisoner Type: Felony Pre-Trial

Booking Origin: Ouachita Parish Sheriff Office

Offense Date: 12/14/2017

Disposition: Bonded Out

Crime Class: FELONY

Arresting Agency: Ouachita Parish Sheriff Office

Charge Description: ANIMAL CRUELTY, AGGRAVATED

Statute: 14:102.1/B1

Bond Number: 2017-00013505

Total Bond Amount: $5,000.00

  

 

  

 

 

 

GoFundMe: Justice for Bitty Boo!

Created December 16, 2017

Sara Durbin 

  Animals

  WEST MONROE, LA

My 3.5lb Yorkie was burned with scorching hot water and put in a freezer! I'm asking for help to get a lawyer to make sure he doesn't get away with this! So far, I have missed 3 days of work to be with her and the vet bills are getting higher. Please help me make this happen! She is a sweetheart and didn't deserve this!

 

 

(MyArkLaMiss - Dec 15, 2017)

Florida: John Lavelle, 26, charged with animal cruelty; accused of abusing his dog repeatedly

FLORIDA -- A man accused of mistreating his dog, including picking up the animal by the tail and throwing him against a wall, has been arrested, police said on Monday.

The man was arrested after two police officers watched from a neighbor's home as he struck the dog, picked him up and slammed him several times on a concrete patio slab, according to the police report.

John Peter Lavelle, 26, of the 2200 block of Northwest 80th Terrace, was charged with cruelty to animals, police said.

He told police he was training the dog, according to the report. The report quoted Lavelle as saying, "How else would you get a dog to listen to you?"

Police also think that Lavelle threw the dog into glass panes on a garage door, the report said.

The dog, a 7-month-old male pointer named Buckeye, was taken to a pet emergency center and is being treated at Broward County Animal Control, officials said.

Buckeye is recuperating from small wounds on his head and neck, pain in the left side of his stomach and possible internal injuries, said Alan Davis, the animal control director.

The dog, who weighs about 30 pounds, is between 10 and 15 pounds underweight and his ribs show, Davis said.

Another dog at Lavelle's home was also taken into protective custody, police said. The dog, a 1-1/2-year-old female pointer, is in good condition and shows no signs of abuse, Davis said.

A witness told police that Lavelle started beating the dog about one month ago and did so two to three times a week because he was frustrated with trying to train the animal.

A neighbor of Lavelle's called police shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

The neighbor, who did not want his name revealed, said he was alerted by the sounds of an animal in pain.

He said he saw Lavelle pick up the dog and hold him by the neck. Then he said he saw the dog picked up by the tail and thrown against the wall.

"The poor thing was in such agony. It was a brutal scene," the neighbor said. "The poor dog was howling, crying, and was making all kinds of noises."

If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, Lavelle faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine, officials said.

Sgt. Sherry Schlueter, supervisor of the Broward Sheriff`s Office Animal Abuse/Agricultural Crimes Unit, said she encourages residents to report animal cruelty.

"Just as with child abuse, it's imperative that people act on behalf of victims who can't act in their own behalf," she said.

(Sun Sentinel - December 29, 1987)

Oklahoma: Bill McAnally, his wife Paula McAnally and Johnnie Meders took pleas of no contest on animal cruelty charges after numerous horses dropped dead during endurance races

OKLAHOMA -- Four remaining defendants will stand separate jury trials Feb. 8 on charges stemming from June horse races that killed seven horses, Rogers County authorities said.

The four pleaded not guilty Thursday in Rogers County District Court.

District Judge Steven J. Adams denied motions to combine their trials.

William Schluneger and Billy Coghill of Broken Arrow and Marty Douglas Bates of Claremore each face trial on one count of animal cruelty.

Prosecutors brought two animal-cruelty counts against Jody Trotter of Kiefer.

The charges stem from their alleged roles in June 13 long-distance races near Catoosa in which horses died after competition in hot, humid weather, authorities said.

The race promoter Bill McAnally, his wife Paula McAnally and Johnnie Lee Meders were given fines and deferred sentences after pleading no contest to animal cruelty charges against them earlier this fall.

McAnally dropped a civil lawsuit Tuesday against an endurance ride organization that pulled out of the races before their running.

McAnally dismissed his lawsuit in exchange for the American Endurance Ride Conference's agreement not to sue him, according to court records.

(NewsOK - December 5, 1987)

Earlier:

• Oklahoma: Bill McAnally and six others were charged Tuesday in connection with seven horses that were raced to death