Oklahoman Skinned Puppy for Belt: Cops

But the pooch is fine!

(NEWSER) - A Chicago man faces charges of animal cruelty after throwing a puppy out of a moving car into traffic, reports the Chicago Tribune . Sergieu Muresan, 26, turned himself in after seeing a warrant for his arrest 11 days after he tossed the pup out a window in a busy Chicago intersection. He faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted. The dog is fine and going up for adoption. More»

Abby Toll faces animal cruelty charges after bizarre fight with boyfriend

(NEWSER) - A 20-year-old University of Colorado at Boulder student faces animal cruelty charges after taping her boyfriend’s Shiba Inu puppy to a refrigerator, NBC 9 Colorado reports. Abby Toll apparently didn’t like Rex, boyfriend Bryan Beck’s dog, and taped up the animal after the two had a fight. Toll and Beck face assault and domestic violence charges related to that fight; the dog was turned over to the Humane Society. More»

(NEWSER) - Neighbors are accusing a Los Angeles County assistant fire chief of beating their puppy so badly that she had to be put down, KTLA reports. Glynn Johnson attacked the dog for no reason, they say, pummeling it with a rock and trying to break its jaws. Johnson told superiors he battled the dog in self-defense. Riverside County deputies are investigating. More»

With humans like these, who needs enemies?

(NEWSER) - Brace yourself, dog lover: The world is full of cruel people, as evidenced by two odd animal crimes that happened in the last week. My Fox Dallas reports on a domestic incident that turned deadly for a Maltese named Diego on Saturday night. A couple reportedly got in a fight in an elevator, with a man allegedly punching a woman. Police say she then entered their shared apartment, poured bleach on his clothes, and left. When her boyfriend saw the clothes, he allegedly threw Diego out of the 19th-floor apartment's window. Though no one saw him fling the dog, his body was found the next day on the 8th-floor pool deck. Police are looking for the man, whose name has not been released. More»

Case sparks calls for tougher penalties for animal abuse

(NEWSER) - Man's best friend just found out how evil man can be. A female dog was found bound and whimpering with gunshot wounds to her head, and buried up to her muzzle in Malta. Incredibly, the dog rescuers nicknamed Star is recovering in an animal shelter while cops seek the animal abusers who attacked her, reports the the Times of Malta. The savagery of her treatment is sparking calls for harsher penalties for animal cruelty in a nation where the most serious punishment is a year in jail. Star's legs and muzzle were tied, and vets dug some 40 shotgun pellets from her head. More»