A 33-year-old man from Welland, Ont. has been charged after allegedly punching and smashing his Shih Tzu dog into a railing of a porch several times.
Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) said they received an animal complaint call near Denistoun and Hooker streets on the afternoon of Sept. 30.
They said that officers learned that a man in the area was allegedly seen holding up the dog on a leash, strangling it.
“The male then smashed the dog into the railing of his front porch six times and then struck the dog with a long dark stick. The male also punched the dog multiple times,” police allege in a news release on Thursday.
Police then asked the man to hand over his dog, but he refused. They said a struggle ensued between the man and an officer.
Shortly after, the officer was able to successfully retrieve the dog.
Police said when they told the man he was being arrested, he allegedly resisted and struck the officers multiple times in the head and face.
Two officers sustained minor injuries as a result, police said. They were able to gain control of the suspect and placed him under arrest.
On Thursday, police announced the arrest of Glen J. Ireland. He has been charged with one count of willfully cause unnecessary pain or suffering or injury to an animal and two counts of assault with intent to resist arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to contact NRPS at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009287, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.