11-Year-Old Boy Reportedly Beat A Dog To Death With A Stick
An 11-year-old boy is accused of beating his neighbor’s dog to death with a stick. According to reports, the boy opened Jennifer Knittel’s gate and let her 15-pound Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix out of her back yard. He then proceeded to kick Cookie and hit him with a stick. The small dog was later found dead on Knittle’s front porch.
Although Knittle did not personally witness the incident, an unidentified woman observed a portion of the assault.
An 11 year old child BEAT a dog to death? WTF America?
— Katie (@lilkatie24) May 13, 2015
The woman said she was driving through the neighborhood when she saw a young boy kicking at two dogs, which were cowering under a truck. As she was concerned for the dogs’ safety, the circled around the block and returned to the scene.
As reported by WFAA News, the larger of the two dogs was unharmed. However, the woman found Cookie unresponsive on Knittle’s front porch.
The unidentified woman said the 11-year-old boy was “walking away from the porch with a big stick in his hand.” When she questioned him about the incident, he insisted the small dog simply fell asleep.
As reported by NBC News, a necropsy revealed Cookie suffered “a fractured skull and a severed spine.” The injuries were caused by blunt force trauma, which is consistent with being beaten with a stick.
The 11-year-old boy does not deny beating the dog to death. However, he insists he killed the dog in self-defense.
Cookie, a loving dog that was beat to death by an 11 year-old. Horrific. http://t.co/mAYsGAkZAp #JusticeForCookie pic.twitter.com/l7DGE6Pz5r
— Save Our Cavs (@SaveOurCavs) May 13, 2015
In an interview with CBS News, Knittle said Cookie was a friendly dog who never displayed any signs of aggression.
“I don’t think we’ve ever heard cookie even growl. So for someone to attack Cookie — it doesn’t make any sense to me… My dog was not aggressive. The little boy has no scratches or marks of any kind on him.”
Although she is heartbroken, Knittle said she is hesitant to blame the child — as he is only 11-years-old. However, she believes the boy is old enough to “know the difference between right and wrong.”
Detectives with the Fort Worth, Texas police department said the incident is still under investigation. If the 11-year-old is found to be responsible for beating the dog to death, he could face a felony charge.
[Image via Shutterstock]
