Intruder stabs dog in Spokane home

A knife-wielding man suspected of breaking into a Spokane home Wednesday night and stabbing the family’s dog is in custody after the homeowners, with help from a neighbor, subdued the alleged intruder until police arrived. Roger “Lucky” Mendenhall, 42, was booked into the Spokane County Jail and could face charges of burglary, assault and cruelty to animals, according to the Spokane Police Department. Mendenhall suffered a cut to his buttocks during a struggle with the home’s residents and spent the night at a Spokane hospital, then was transferred to the jail this morning, police said. The dog, named Chance, is in critical condition with a stab wound but police said is being treated at an emergency pet clinic. Officers were summoned to the home shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday after the residents found a man inside their bedroom holding a knife. A struggle ensued, police said, and the intruder attempted to flee, getting to the front yard before a neighbor tackled him. Officers arrived and took the suspect into custody. The dog was found in a pool of blood on the living room floor and rushed to the pet clinic.