WASHINGTON — A D.C. man was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after he was seen aggressively beating his dog last month.
On Dec. 26, the Humane Rescue Alliance received reports of a man, now identified as Jonathon Lamar Little, beating his dog, whipping it with a leash, picking the dog up by the leash and shaking it.
A resident of the area provided surveillance video that confirmed the caller’s description of the incident.
“The surveillance video in this case is shocking,” said Lisa LaFontaine, president and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance.
A search warrant was executed on Jan. 8, when the dog was seized and taken to the Humane Rescue Alliance. The dog had abrasions, scabbing and cuts throughout its body, according to a news release.
Little was arrested on a warrant obtained by the Humane Rescue Alliance Law Enforcement Officers, turned himself in Friday to the U.S. Marshals Service and was arraigned Saturday in D.C.’s Superior Court.
The dog will remain under the care of the Humane Rescue Alliance for the duration of the case.
“Cruelty is illegal. Any person who treats their pet in this manner should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” LaFontaine said.
