Puppy beaten with pipe recovering at Wisconsin Humane Society
RACINE – Rocky, a 10-month-old puppy beaten by his owner on multiple occasions, is recovering at the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) Racine Campus after his owner was arrested last week.
Rocky had been repeatedly abused. According to the criminal complaint, the owner admitted to beating his puppy. Wounds on Rocky’s head are believed to be caused by the pup being whipped by a belt.
Several witnesses reportedly saw the owner beating Rocky with a pipe and punching the puppy, as Rocky cried out in pain. According to the criminal complaint, children who witnessed the incident asked adults to call the police, which resulted in the arrest of the owner on June 7.
“Blatant animal cruelty is horrible to witness, and we applaud the bystanders, especially the kids, who stood up against this violence and reached out to the police,” said Angela Speed, vice president of communications.
“Violence against animals is strongly linked to domestic abuse and other violent crimes,” Speed explained, “so by stepping up to report animal abuse, the witnesses may have prevented more than one act of violence.”
Research from the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys found that 76% of animal abusers also abuse a member of their family. Studies also indicate that abusers of animals are five times as likely to harm humans.
“Rocky is a young dog with a forgiving personality,” Speed said. “Despite the pain and cruelty inflicted upon the poor guy, he still looks to us with hope in his eyes, and we tell him every day that we won’t let that happen to him again. With every ear scratch and belly rub, he trusts us a little bit more.”
Rocky is currently being assessed by WHS veterinary and behavior staff and will receive the treatment he needs to recover from his trauma.
Donations for Rocky are being encouraged to cover the cost of his care, and can be made here or by calling 414-431-6119.
- Tuesday, June 12, 2018
