WASHINGTON – A grand jury has handed down an array of charges against a D.C. man who was seen kicking and beating numerous dogs during the past year and a half.
In the spring of 2012, Washington Humane Society investigators found Porter, a now-healed pit bull, with broken legs, a displaced jaw and missing teeth. He was abused by his owner, Charles Palmer, 35, of D.C., they say.
“We got a report of someone who was allegedly beating a dog. It was called in by a good Samaritan who saw it and we’ve been investigating them ever since then,” says humane society president and CEO Lisa LaFontaine.
It took more than 20 months for investigators to build a case against Palmer.
“We’re as impatient as everyone else is. We see these animals, we get them immediately after they are injured. We also have to be really smart and really patient and just do good police work,” LaFontaine says.
Palmer was indicted in D.C. Superior Court on 14 counts, including five felony counts of cruelty to animals and five misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals involving 10 different dogs, three of which died as a result of the abuse, according to the humane society.
He will be arraigned on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
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