Central Idaho man charged after puppy dies on tangled leash

KETCHUM, Idaho – A central Idaho man police say killed an English bulldog puppy by dragging it with a leash looped around its neck has been charged with cruelty to animals.

Ketchum Police Chief Dave Kassner says 46-year-old Matthew M. Muer was intoxicated and may not have realized the dog had stopped walking.

Kassner told the Times-News newspaper that an officer directing traffic on Saturday heard a woman screaming that someone was dragging a puppy.

Kassner said the officer investigated and found the leash had looped around the dog’s neck and cinched tight.

Kassner said the puppy was taken to a veterinarian’s office, where it died.