Brooklyn Man Indicted For Allegedly Punching Shih Tzu Puppy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A Brooklyn man has been indicted for punching an eight-month-old Shih Tzu he was dog-sitting, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes announced.
Alex Dykes, 49, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and "overdriving, torturing and injuring animals" and failure to provide proper sustenance for animals.
Dykes and his girlfriend were watching the puppy named Bentley for a friend in Sept. of 2012, prosecutors said. Dykes got angry and punched Bentley in the head, causing a skull fracture, prosecutors said.
An unidentified caller notified the ASPCA's animal abuse hotline and said Dykes wasn't getting the puppy necessary veterinary care.
Responding ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers could tell Bentley was seriously ill, prosecutors said. His muscles were stiff, he could stand straight, and he cried whenever his legs were touched, prosecutors said.
Because he wasn't treated right away, Bentley suffered permanent brain damage and will never make a full recovery, according to prosecutors.
Dykes was arrested on April 3. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted.
