ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested a 28-year-old man on a charge of animal cruelty for allegedly cutting his dog's throat.
Randal B. Hart, of County Road 13 North, was arrested Monday and will make his first court appearance Tuesday morning.
Deputies and county animal control responded to Hart's home at 10:20 a.m. after a witness reported the Sunday night incident. The witness said Hart had stabbed the dog several times and cut its throat. According to the witness, Hart was seen dragging the howling dog to a nearby plot of land.
Hart was found at his home this morning. Deputies said the dog, a St. Bernard mix, was located in a grassy area near the home, still alive but in obvious distress. The dog was taken to Atlantic Veterinarian Hospital for emergency surgery.
Hart told the deputy that he stabbed the dog because it bit his kitten and needed to be "put down." The deputy found the kitten and did not see any injuries.
