MANATEE COUNTY – A Texas man is behind bars in Manatee County after deputies say he hung another man’s dog from a tree for barking.
“What I found just breaks my heart, it tears me up inside to know the pain I think she went through the last minutes of her life,” said Richard Hunt, owner of the dog killed.
Manatee County deputies say 38-year-old Robert Edwards was arrested shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, after he allegedly took an electrical cord and tied it around a dog’s neck for barking. Deputies say Edwards then hung the dog from a tree until it was dead.
“We have a very disturbing thing that happened here because it was certainly preventable and totally unnecessary,” said Randy Warren, spokesman for Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Hunt says his 7-year-old black Labrador Retriever, Midnight, was staying at his sons home in Myakka City. He recalls his son calling him screaming over the phone…
“He’s killing our dog, he’s hanging our dog please come! So I jumped in the car and went as quickly as I could,” said Hunt.
According to the arrest report Edwards woke up a family member to help him hide the body. The family member, who is a minor, refused to help. Deputies say Edwards then punched the minor in the face. Hunt says he doesn’t understand what kind of person would plan to do such a thing over a dog barking.
“She was a great dog there was no need for him to do what he did,” Hunt said.
Hunt says he plans to be at all of Edwards hearing and hopes to fight for stricter laws punishing those who abuse animals in memory of Midnight.
“I’m going to do the same thing now to fight for even better legislation if necessary but definitely for stronger punishments, maybe we’ll call it Midnight’s Law,” he said.
Edwards is booked into the Manatee County Jail. He faces felony charges of child and animal abuse.
