An Ohio man has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly kicking and choking his puppy at pet store in Cuyahoga Falls.
Leland Wright, 24, walked into the PetSmart on Howe Avenue on Friday around 7 p.m., accompanied by his puppy Hank, who is a lab-mastiff mix between four and six months old.
Two witnesses claimed they saw Wright abuse the puppy, kicking it in the throat, face and ribs. At one point, they said, Wright even pulled the puppy up by his leash, choking him as he dangled above the floor.
The witnesses also said Wright had his young daughter nearby during the incident.
Cuyahoga Falls police arrived and issued Wright a summons. Though the puppy was checked out by a store veterinarian and didn’t appear to have major injuries, it had one bloodshot eye that could have been the result of abuse.
Hank was taken to local organization Paws and Prayers, where he will maintain until the case is settled.
