NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) – A Niagara man is facing animal cruelty charges after a 5-month-old puppy died last month after being found motionless in a backyard.
Brian Benjamin, 67, of Niagara Falls, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony.
According to Niagara Falls Police reports, on March 20, a Niagara Falls man found his puppy, a Siberian Husky, motionless in his backyard. The dog’s owner said that there was an unknown man in the yard standing over his dog.
The man fled on foot as the owner picked up the dog and brought her in the house. The owner attempted to revive the puppy with CPR and rushed her to a local animal hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A necropsy showed that the dog died as a result of blunt force trauma.
The Niagara Falls Animal Control officer handling the investigation was able to identify the man in the backyard as Benjamin. He was located in Niagara Falls on April 21 and arrested, released on an appearance ticket.
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