Florida Teen Arrested For Allegedly Stabbing Dog To Death To Avoid Pound


Authorities say a 19-year-old man, Joshua Cox, of Bradenton, Florida, was arrested for allegedly stabbing his dog to the death to avoid taking the Pit Bull to a dog pound. The Bradenton Herald reports that officers with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a home in the 4800 block of Ninetieth Street West in South Manatee after receiving an anonymous call about a suspicious person.

That person was later identified as Cox. The 911 caller reported being asked for a shovel to bury a dog that Cox had killed with a kitchen knife. When officers arrived at the home, they found Cox sitting in a chair in the front yard.

As deputies approached Cox, he asked if they were there for the dog but they began frisking the suspect because they were notified that Cox was carrying a knife. A small bag of marijuana was reportedly found in Cox’s pocket but officers did not find a knife. After questioning the teen about the dog, Cox led the officers to the backyard where they found the Pit Bull dead with multiple stabs to the neck and the body.

Pitbull stabbed to death by its owner to avoid pound. [Image by Debbi Shop/iStock]

Cox claimed that his parents drove from Greenville, North Carolina to Florida to bring the dog to him so that he could spend more time with the Pit Bull before having to get rid of it. He went on to say that the dog was staying at his brother and sister-in-law’s home, but they recently informed him that the Pit Bull was unable to stay as their lease prohibited them from having dogs.

In lieu of taking the Pit Bull to the dog pound, Cox allegedly opted to kill the dog. He told officers that where he is from if you have to put a dog down, they would shoot it, but due to the city limit, he was unable to carry out the act.

Bradenton man arrested for allegedly stabbing his dog to death. [Image by
400tmax/iStock]

It was reported that Cox admitted to killing his dog by taking a heated knife from the kitchen and began stabbing the Pit Bull. He added that he stabbed the dog three or four times because the dog began to move during the execution.

Cox was arrested on animal cruelty charges and possession of marijuana.

[Featured Image by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office]

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