Man pleads not guilty in animal cruelty case

A Cheney man pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of animal cruelty after a witness reported seeing him throw a beagle into a kennel.

According to a police report, a witness also saw 27-year-old Casey J. Price holding the female beagle, named Roxy, by her throat and holding the dog’s mouth to keep her from crying out.

Officer Francisca Rapier, of Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, told police that she did a welfare check on Roxy on June 6 and found the dog tethered on a short wire connected to her collar. The dog could not reach her dog house and did not respond to Rapier, who also noticed the dog wasn’t breathing properly.

In a later visit to 3210 Meadow Glen Lane in Cheney, Price agreed to release the dog to SCRAPS because Rapier did not believe the dog was safe in his care. Price said the dog may have been injured when she fell trying to climb over a fence to get to another beagle he owns.

But a witness told police that he saw Price throw and hit the dog.

Superior Court Judge Ellen Kalama Clark released Price on his own recognizance Monday and set a trial date for Nov. 2.