Los Angeles: A Van Nuys man was arrested for animal cruelty yesterday after he attempted to drown the family dog for soiling the carpet.
On Monday, October 1, 2007, around 2:00 p.m., Casey Purser, 19, returned to his house in the 15300 block of Weddington Street and was reunited with his two dogs, a Shih Tzu named "Toby" and a Pitbull puppy named "Evesue". The suspect became irate with the Shih Tzu when it defecated in the house. Purser threw the dog in the bathtub and tried to drown it.
A neighbor witnessed the crime and was able to rescue Toby from the bathtub. The dog was unconscious and had stopped breathing when pulled from the water. The neighbor performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, saving the dog's life, and rushed him to a local veterinary hospital. The veterinary hospital resuscitated Toby with oxygen and was able to stabilize his condition.
Van Nuys patrol officers responded to the veterinary hospital and arrested Purser when he arrived to pay the vet bill.
The arrest was for 597(a) of the California Penal Code, Animal Cruelty. The Animal Cruelty Task Force is currently investigating the crime and is pursuing felony charges. If convicted, Purser could face up to three years in prison.
The Animal Cruelty Task Force is made up of Los Angeles Police Officers and Detectives, Animal Service Officers from the Department of Animal Services and Deputy City Attorney's from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Animal Cruelty Task Force at 213-847-1417. On weekends or during off-hours call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).
Those two girls are absolute heroes!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't even imagine the tortue that poor dog was put through and also the other dog in the apartment knew something horrible was happening. I am sick of hearing how people stand by and do nothing. These two girls did everything they could and did not waste a moment. I can see the courage on their faces. As for the perp, drowing is too good for him.
Posted by: eileen peterson | October 05, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Some mad scientist cloned this Van Nuys man after putting a human cell and some wild animal cell together and that is why he wishes to fight the other animals.
Posted by: Malaysian | October 07, 2007 at 04:54 PM
What kind of a loser would try to drown a defenseless little dog? It makes me sick. I absolutely LOVE animals, and I think animal cruelty should have extreme consequences. Pets like cats and dogs bring joy to our lives and they depend on us to take care of them. I desperately hope Purser gets the maximum sentence for this disgusting crime.
Posted by: Kat Monaco | October 09, 2007 at 03:05 PM