BEND, Ore. — Three dogs that were seized Wednesday in a case of alleged animal abuse in La Pine remain at the Humane Society of Central Oregon. For now, they are not being offered up for adoption, District Attorney Steve Gunnels said Friday.
The dogs were seized after a video went viral showing a man appearing to hit one with a shovel. The owner, John Robinson, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of animal abuse — minutes after speaking to Central Oregon Daily News about the allegations. Formal charges have yet to be filed. Gunnels said the investigation is still active.
The dogs (pictured above left to right) are Hooch, Evie and Paco. Hooch is the one seen in the viral video, the Humane Society said.
Many people have been flooding the Humane Society with offers to adopt the dogs. Gunnels said the dogs can’t be put up for adoption until Robinson gives up ownership, either through a court order or voluntarily.
The video, shared across multiple Facebook pages, showed the 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.”
“I was just trying to discipline the dog, and he bit me. He’s got little razor teeth,” Richardson told Central Oregon Daily.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said Richardson was initially uncooperative when deputies first spoke to him on April 26 about the incident. It also said deputies could not seize the dog then. The case was forwarded to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office for review. A decision was made Tuesday to make an arrest.
Richardson said he was not concerned about any charges that he might face.
“No. Let them come. I’ll just get a lawyer. We’ll see them in court, and it’s going to cost them a bunch of money,” Richardson said. Approximately 45 minutes after saying that, Richardson was arrested.
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