NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A man has been charged with killing his neighbor's 2-pound miniature Yorkshire terrier by place-kicking it into the air like a football.
Chad Daniel Crawford, 23, was booked on charges of cruelty to animals and felony vandalism. He was freed after posting $25,000 bond.
Jelani Lewis and Jessica McKenzie said they were shocked and outraged by the death of their 17-year-old dog, Gizmo.
Lewis was on the grounds of his apartment complex Tuesday when he said he saw one of three men holding the dog like a football.
"The other one backed up and kicked him like a place-kicker," said Lewis, who couldn't get there fast enough to save his pet.
Gizmo flew through the air in a high arc, hit the pavement and rolled a few feet beneath a parked car. The dog was dead when he hit the ground and the men were laughing, Lewis said.
"I didn't believe that they kicked my dog," Lewis told The Tennessean newspaper. "When I saw him kick it, I was thinking, maybe for a second, 'No, that isn't Gizmo.'".
Lewis said he chased the men and caught Crawford, then made him pick up Gizmo's body and take it upstairs to McKenzie.
Lewis said he held Crawford until police arrived. Only Crawford has been charged.
Contacted by telephone at his home, Crawford said the accusations against him were false. He declined further comment and said he was trying to contact an attorney.
"There is an obvious question about the mental makeup of someone who would do a thing like this to a tiny animal," said Judy Ladebauche, Metro Animal Control Director. "This is heartbreaking. I've seen horrific things — but not like this."
Ladebauche said she would ask prosecutors to upgrade the charges against Crawford to the state's newly created aggravated animal cruelty charge. Under the new law, a conviction can result in a court-ordered mental evaluation for the offender and a second offense is a felony.
Associated Press.
WTF - wil.
Chad Daniel Crawford, 23, was booked on charges of cruelty to animals and felony vandalism. He was freed after posting $25,000 bond.
Jelani Lewis and Jessica McKenzie said they were shocked and outraged by the death of their 17-year-old dog, Gizmo.
Lewis was on the grounds of his apartment complex Tuesday when he said he saw one of three men holding the dog like a football.
"The other one backed up and kicked him like a place-kicker," said Lewis, who couldn't get there fast enough to save his pet.
Gizmo flew through the air in a high arc, hit the pavement and rolled a few feet beneath a parked car. The dog was dead when he hit the ground and the men were laughing, Lewis said.
"I didn't believe that they kicked my dog," Lewis told The Tennessean newspaper. "When I saw him kick it, I was thinking, maybe for a second, 'No, that isn't Gizmo.'".
Lewis said he chased the men and caught Crawford, then made him pick up Gizmo's body and take it upstairs to McKenzie.
Lewis said he held Crawford until police arrived. Only Crawford has been charged.
Contacted by telephone at his home, Crawford said the accusations against him were false. He declined further comment and said he was trying to contact an attorney.
"There is an obvious question about the mental makeup of someone who would do a thing like this to a tiny animal," said Judy Ladebauche, Metro Animal Control Director. "This is heartbreaking. I've seen horrific things — but not like this."
Ladebauche said she would ask prosecutors to upgrade the charges against Crawford to the state's newly created aggravated animal cruelty charge. Under the new law, a conviction can result in a court-ordered mental evaluation for the offender and a second offense is a felony.
Associated Press.
WTF - wil.
