BEND, Ore. — A La Pine man charged with animal abuse is asking a judge for the return of his seized dogs along with other property which were seized after a viral video showing a dog being hit with a shovel. A hearing was set for Tuesday afternoon on the motion.
John Richardson, 75, is charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse and second-degree animal abuse.
The video, shared across multiple Facebook pages, showed a man picking up the dog and taking a couple of swings with the shovel. The dog falls to the ground and the man takes another swing with the shovel. The person who shot the video is heard saying, “He’s pissed because he can’t catch his dog so he’s going to beat it with a shovel.”
Deschutes Count District Attorney Steve Gunnels said Tuesday the dog that was struck, Hooch, was taken to a veterinarian for a full exam. Hooch had multiple internal physical injuries, with at least one of the injuries possibly resulting in long term complication, Gunnels said. But outside of that, Hooch is “health, stable, and doing very well” at the Humane Society of Central Oregon.
In a letter submitted to the court, Richardson claims there were “several serious procedural and factual errors” in the case. First among them, Richardson claims, was that the three dogs — Hooch, EV and Paco — were not on the official seizure or removal order. He also claims the sheriff’s office seized clothing items that didn’t belong to the animals and were not relevant to the case.
Richardson claims he was not afforded due process and had not been shown video evidence. “Deputy Alexander said I hit the dog Hooch several times, but they never showed me the video,” the letter reads. “Despite requesting to review this material, it has not been provided to me. This denial of access violates my right to review and respond to the evidence against me.”
That statement contradicts the official Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office case report. Deputy Alexander wrote, “I showed him the video, which caused him to become visibly angry. He walked away from me, yelling incoherently, and attempted to close and lock his gate.”
The report also indicated that Richardson regretted his actions and said he would not do it again. Deputy Alexander wrote that Richardson said owning the three dogs had become “overwhelming and frustrating for him,” but that he declined an offer by another deputy to take custody of any of the dogs.
Richardson is asking that the dogs not be adopted out until the case has been resolved.
A hearing on the motion was set for 3:00 p.m. Tuesday. Richardson’s arraignment on the animal abuse charges is set for May 20.
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