A Troutdale man faces possible charges of first-degree aggravated animal abuse and second-degree disorderly conduct after his neighbor captured video footage that appears to show him kicking his 12-week-old puppy.
The incident happened on Monday when 25-year-old Merlyn Christopher Blair took Bruno, his rottweiler bull terrier mix, to a patch of lawn in his Troutdale apartment complex, court documents say.
Blair allegedly began kicking the dog, launching it into the air, according to court documents. The neighbor captured video footage of the violent episode, in which the puppy can be heard yelping in pain, according to court records. Blair then yanked up on the puppy’s leash, lifting the dog into the air by its neck.
The neighbor reported Blair to the company that manages the apartment complex, prompting Blair to yell at the neighbor and kick the neighbor’s door, court records allege. The neighbor captured video of that interaction as well, according to court records.
A Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy responded to a call about animal abuse at 1:50 p.m. and, after watching the videos, took Blair into custody.
The deputy reportedly asked Blair how far he thought the puppy would have flown after being kicked if not for the leash, to which Blair replied “a couple feet,” court records say. Blair told the deputy that he kicked the dog because it had peed on his foot, according to court records.
The sheriff’s office obtained a warrant to transfer Bruno to the care of Multnomah County Animal Services. Deputy John Plock, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said Bruno was taken to Dove Lewis Animal Hospital for a medical evaluation.
Blair is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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