A Watertown man is accused of beating his Chihuahua to death in March, police said.
Carmelo Feliciano faces one felony charge of cruelty to animals after his dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian's office. Police said the dog was already dead by the time it arrived on March 26.
A necropsy conducted found the dog died of blunt force trauma. Rib fractures, external bruising and bruising to an internal organ were also noted, according to police.
Watertown police said the Chihuahua had been treated for chest bruising, difficulty breathing, eye injuries and hemorrhages over several months before its death.
Neighbor Marilyn Mayer said she had seen the dog with injuries before the final incident.
“The dog was a mess the eye was stitched shut and there was swelling the eyes were the color of your jacket,” she said.
Mayer said she asked Feliciano about the injuries and he told her that the dog was attacked by a large animal, but she wasn’t entirely convinced.
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“He told me it was beaten up attacked or whatever by a large animal.. there are no large animals around here,” she said.
When NBC Connecticut confronted Feliciano, he said he never hurt his pet.
Feliciano was arrested on Friday and his bond was set at $25,000.
