A Watertown man is accused of animal cruelty after a dog was found with bruises, broken teeth and a possible concussion. The man is also accused of holding a hatchet during a confrontation with the dog’s owners.
Police made the arrest after responding to a home on Sunnyside Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
They said they responded to the home to investigate reports of a disturbance involving a man with a hatchet after relatives came home to find their dog injured.
The people who contacted police said 51-year-old Jean Marcelin Francois didn’t like the dog and had been home alone with it, police said. When the dog’s owners confronted Francois, it turned into an argument.
Francois then pulled a hatchet in his waistband and “postured in a threatening manner while wielding the hatchet,” according to police.
The confrontation then got physical and Francois went back to his room with the hatchet, according to a news release from police.
Police said the people who contacted them reported finding blood, urine and broken dog toys in a room.
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The small dog was taken to a local animal hospital and found to be bruised. It also had a cut and swollen nose, two broken teeth, bruised gums and a possible concussion, police said.
Police took Francois into custody and he denied all accusations, police said.
He was charged with disorderly conduct and cruelty to animals and held on a $10,000.
He is due in Waterbury Superior Court.
