HOUSTON — A man is accused of animal cruelty after he allegedly threw a husky puppy over a Houston apartment balcony last month, authorities said Thursday.
Dwight Paul Hankins, 66, of Houston, was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty to non-livestock, according to Harris County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
According to the sheriff’s office, the puppy, named Victoria, was thrown 15 feet from a second-story balcony, KTRK-TV reported. The puppy injured her right leg after landing on the concrete sidewalk.
Deputies said the puppy was heard crying in pain as Hankins was seen walking back into his apartment, according to KHOU-TV.
The Houston SPCA said someone at the apartment complex filed a cruelty report, leading authorities to the dog.
“Because the animal was abandoned, a Houston SPCA animal cruelty investigator was able to rescue the dog without a warrant and bring her back for immediate care by their staff veterinarians and animal care team,” an SPCA spokesperson said in a news release.
Houston SPCA discovered that Victoria had suffered a broken leg that staff later learned was irreparable. A veterinarian performed an amputation and the puppy is recovering well, KPRC-TV reported.
Adam Reynolds, chief of animal cruelty investigations for the Houston SPCA, told people who hurt animals to “take note.”
“There are animal lovers everywhere, especially in Houston, who are going to help us stop your violence against animals by capturing it on video and filing a report with us,” Reynolds said in a statement.
Hankins could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine, KTRK reported.