CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A Clarksville man has been arrested for allegedly strangling his dog to death.
According to an arrest warrant, 25-year-old Derek McCune said he was giving his son a bath when the child slipped and McCune moved to catch him. The dog thought McCune was hurting the child and bit McCune in the face.
McCune said he became angry and pushed the dog out of the bathroom, and said he threw it across the room when it rushed at him.
The warrant says the dog was cowering in a corner of the basement where it had urinated, defecated, and vomited. McCune allegedly continued to assault the dog by choking it with his bare hands, then strangling it with a leather belt until it died.
When police arrived, they found the dog’s body in the driveway.
McCune was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. His bond was set at $10,000.