A Royalton man was arrested on a felony animal cruelty count Thursday morning by Niagara County Sheriff’s. The arrest came at the request of the Niagara SPCA.
Agents from the SPCA say they received a call from the Sheriff’s Department on April 5th after a deputy responded to a call of animal abuse at a home on Rochester Road in the town of Royalton.
The deputy said when they arrived witnesses played an audio recording of 33-year-old Jay Kenneth reportedly beating a 7-month-old Doberman pinscher puppy he owned named Spike. The dog's screams can be heard among Kenneth's shouts and repeated strikes with an unidentified object. Witnesses told the deputy and SPCA agents they saw Kenneth grab the dog outside and drag him inside and up a flight of stairs.
Spike was seized by a SPCA Cruelty Investigator and NYS Peace Officer and taken to Companion Care Animal Hospital in Wheatfield where veterinarians gave the animal a full examination. After listening to the recordings, veterinarians concluded the dog did not appear to have an exaggerated pain response and that the beating could have caused the significant physical pain.
Spike will be in the custody of the SPCA during court proceedings.
