Puppy killing upsets citizens

An act of animal cruelty early Saturday morning has upset many Chatham residents.

Police were called to a Louella Crescent home just before 3:30 a.m. in response to a domestic assault and a complain of animal cruelty. The puppy was dead when the police arrived and a number of people at the scene were upset.

According to the Chatham-Kent police a 25-year-old man had assaulted his common-law spouse and during the argument he threw a newly acquired puppy from the couple’s apartment, down a stairwell which lead to a driveway. The accused followed after the puppy and picked it up, the victim of the domestic assault attempted to save the puppy, but the accused pushed her to the ground and threw the puppy onto the ground. Several people intervened and they were threatened by the accused. Several officers were dispatched to this call, but sadly it was too late for the puppy.

The accused was arrested for domestic assault and threatening and will answer to those charges in a Chatham courtroom. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals attended at the scene, and confirmed the puppy was deceased. A post-mortem will be conducted on the puppy early next week. Additional charges will be laid against the accused once post-mortem is completed and the officers from OSPCA and CKPS consult with the Crown Attorney.