Man claimed dog drowned, but investigator says the pet was strangled near Fort Worth
A Eastland, Texas man was in custody Friday and accused of strangling his family’s dog in Parker County, according to an affidavit and jail records.
Initially, Ryan Matthew Hobbs told a family member that the 2-year-old chiweenie — a mix between a Chihuahua and Dachshund — drowned in a tub as he tried to give the dog a bath.
But a witness later told a deputy with the Parker County Sheriff’s Office that Hobbs told her he “intentionally killed the dog,” according to the affidavit obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday.
A family member also saw scratches on Hobbs’ chest and a bite mark on his finger.
Authorities did not comment on a motive.
Hobbs, 20, was arrested Wednesday and faces a charge of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. He was in the Parker County Jail on Friday on $10,000 bond.
A deputy with the Parker County Sheriff’s Office responded to the family’s home on Sept. 6 regarding the dog’s death.
The owners of the dog reported that Hobbs had called earlier in the day to say the dog was under a shed behind their home.
The family member tried calling Hobbs back several times, but he didn’t answer.
At about 5 p.m. on Sept. 6, Hobbs finally called the family member back saying the dog had gotten muddy and he was trying to give the pet a bath when it slipped out of his arms and drowned, according to the affidavit.
Results of a necropsy showed there was a tear in the trachea suggesting the pet died by strangulation.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 10:44 AM.
