'Out of control' man arrested after punching puppy's face
ETHEL, Wash. -- A 19-year-old man was arrested after police said he not only punched a puppy in the face, but also threw it against a tree.
Jesse Pegram, 19, was booked for investigation of first-degree animal cruelty early Friday morning. He was also referred for being a minor in possession of alcohol.
Pegram's arrest stemmed from an incident that happened around 1 a.m. Friday. Pegram's family called police because the man was acting disorderly. When officers arrived, they found Pegram, drunk and agitated, in the street of Oyler Road.
Family members said he was "out of control" and at one point punched the family's five-month-old German Shepherd in the face. Deputies were also told they thought Pegram had thrown the puppy against a tree.
Police found the puppy and noticed obvious injuries to her face, including an extremely swollen and bloodshot eye. The puppy was also limping.
Due to the extent of the injuries, the deputy called a veterinarian who agreed to meet the deputy at a clinic to evaluate the puppy. Family members did not have transportation to take the puppy themselves so the deputy took the dog and one of the family members to the clinic.
After an exam, the veterinarian told the deputy the dog had injuries consistent with head trauma and that the dog had a leg injury, but no obvious fractures. The veterinarian kept the dog overnight for evaluation.
“I am very proud of the deputy’s actions in this incident. Our office is dedicated to protecting life and property and this deputy’s compassion, concern, and action towards this puppy was in line with the ethical values that I expect my deputies to exhibit," said Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield. "His swift action both in going above and beyond to seek medical care for this animal in the middle of the night, and transporting it to a veterinary clinic made a positive difference for this animal and its owners. I am also grateful for the willingness of the veterinarian to assist us in caring for the puppy and the partnerships we have built with them over the years."
I would love to punch that boy in the balls and throw him crotch-first against a tree.
I have to commend the cops for not smashing this POS's face in. Thats why I couldn't be a cop. Hurt a kid, woman, or animal in front of me, and you get your ass kicked...period.
I salute the officer for his compassion and the vet for his devotion to care for animals...regardless of the time of night. (I would personally like to see the young man get some help, but if that does not happen, I would then like to see him get thrown into a tree....repeatedly.)
Put him in the slammer, let the other "guests" know what he's in for and watch the games begin. He's a piece of excrement and will be dealt with accordingly. This cretin is worthless and always will be. I sincerely hope that the puppy will not be returned to this family as it is obvious they are not able to care for it properly.Â
Bravo to the deputy for showing such compassion to an animal, it's hard to imagine this 19 year old amounting to much of any worth, animal abuse is a warning sign, to say the least, the picture of the dog makes me almost sick, I say maybe let a police dog loose on him, then throw him in the slammer
I would hope to God that the pup wasn't returned to the family as they obviously couldn't handle the responsibility of keeping it out of harms way and besides if they couldn't even get it to the vet they don't need a dog anyway as they aren't able to care properly for it . The boy should be jailed till he's reached 21 and then kicked out of the state. Let him go and join M Vick and other sociopaths of his ilk.
 @Iabide Actually, I think the family did a great job. They called the cops on their family member because he hurt the dog. They showed caring for the dog. Things happen and sometimes they happen too fast for us to stop the event. Want happens next is most important. Some other family might not have bothered with the cops and just let the dog live or die. They got help. I have volunteered with an animal rescue group now for 14 years. We have had people bring us dogs after they have been suffering for DAYS! We always call animal control, but since the dog was given up, not much animal control can do. This family did the right thing.
Stupid-a** little punk. I'd love an opportunity to use a baseball bat on your face. I'd hit you so hard, it would make your driver's license picture bleed.