New Britain Police have arrested a man who is accused of abusing his dog and causing multiple fractures on the dog's body.
Officers were called to a home on Bassett Street in April after getting a report of a verbal domestic incident involving Christopher Vantull and another tenant, police said.
The tenant was upset that Vantull was allowing his dog, a pit bull named Socks, to urinate and defecate inside of the home, officers added.
Police at the scene said no action was taken at that time, however, they noticed the dog cowered when Vantull came near it.
The next week, a New Britain Animal Control Officer followed up on the case and said Vantull relinquished Socks to a rescue group in New Haven.
The New Haven rescue group told animal control that Socks was turned over with some visible injuries, police said. The rescue group scheduled an appointment with a veterinarian, who concluded that Socks had multiple fractures consistent with blunt force trauma.
When officers questioned Vantull about the injuries, he said he hit the dog once by accident and another time when he was disciplining him. The injuries were confirmed by two separate veterinarians to be consistent with abuse, authorities added.
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On Friday, Vantull was arrested by warrant for cruelty to animals. He was held on a $100,000 bond.
He posted bond and is due in court for arraignment on July 25.
