GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – Genesee County officials charged a man with beating a dog in order to get his family member to do what he wanted, they said.
Eric Robert Savela, 36, is facing a rare charge of using an animal in a domestic violence incident, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He’s also facing a misdemeanor animal abuse charge.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson provided a live update on this case Tuesday, identifying the man as Savela.
The incident was caught on camera, and Swanson played some of the video to put it into context.
Pluto, the 1-year-old German Shepherd puppy, is now safe. Police said he was “simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”