Man charged with animal cruelty after dog’s death
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REXBURG — A man has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after allegedly beating a dog to death.
Miguel Rivera, 66, is accused of killing a small Shih Tzu mix last week at his Rexburg apartment.
Police were called to an apartment at 350 West 5th South on Nov. 27 after a neighbor reported hearing a dog squealing and yelping in pain. When officers arrived, they discovered the deceased dog in an apartment.
“The tenant told us he was trying to get boogers out of the dog’s eyes and the dog was resisting,” Rexburg Police Capt. Randy Lewis told EastIdahoNews.com on Nov. 28. “The dog wouldn’t come out of the cage so he grabbed it by the neck and possibly choked it.”
Lewis said Rivera then beat the animal repeatedly with a rolled up newspaper until it lost consciousness.
Rivera admitted that he had consumed alcohol and said things may have gotten “out of hand.”
Officers seized the deceased dog and another dog that was in the apartment. The other animal has been placed into a new home, according to Rexburg Police Lt. Colin Erickson.
If convicted, Rivera could face up to six months in jail.