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TAYLORSVILLE -- Taylorsville police say a puppy was beaten up by a father enraged that the puppy nipped or scratched his son.
According to police, Michael Dean Heaps became angry with the dog after it nipped at his 4-year-old son. An anonymous source who witnessed the beating called police, who arrived to find the dog bleeding from its mouth.
Now there's a warning for other dog owners and parents about puppies and children.
The puppy had apparently hurt boy while they played together. Police say it was a superficial scratch. Temma Martin with the Best Friends Animal Society says puppies naturally chew and nip and bite.
It is the guardian's responsibility to teach the puppy what appropriate behavior is.
–Temma Martin, Best Friends Animal Society
"It's certainly not aggressive behavior and it's totally normal, but it is the guardian's responsibility to teach the puppy what appropriate behavior is," she said.
Martin also says don't leave dogs and children alone together.
Officers say the father became so enraged after the scratch that he attacked the puppy. It's now doing fine in a shelter, but Martin is worried about what the boy witnessed.
"For the parent to react that way was probably much more painful for the child than the initial bite was," Martin said.
Police say alcohol was involved and the man faces several misdemeanor charges. In addition to a charge of cruelty to animals, Heaps is also charged with public intoxication and domestic violence criminal mischief because his young son witnessed the beating.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
