No Justice: Man Strangled And Slashed Throat Of Newly Adopted Dog

[Sugar Cookie]

On August 26, a handsome dog named Denali was adopted from the Providence Animal Center where he was a favorite among staff. But Denali’s happily-ever-after did not happen because his new owner brutally.

Denali’s killer, 62-year-old David A. Saxton was charged with cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to animals involving torture on October 20. The man admitted to hitting his dog over the head, using a leash to strangle him, and then slashing his neck before bagging up his body in a trash bag and burying him in the yard.

The Providence Animal Center’s Officer, Jason Bell, is leading the investigation. According to Bell’s criminal complaint, Denali’s new family encountered “behavior problems” in early October and reached out to the shelter because they wanted to return him. The family alleged that there was “aggressive behavior,” and “a bite.” They originally wanted to surrender him to the shelter on October 20, but moved the date up to October 10.

The shelter contacted the family on October 9to gather information and learned that they were attempting to have Denali euthanized at a veterinary hospital, but two different veterinarians had already declined to do it.


Shelter officials went to the family’s home to conduct a welfare check, but nobody answered. The next day, when Denali was supposed to be surrendered, the shelter received a text stating that they would not be bringing him in.

The shelter received information from “concerned” people who stated that David’s daughter had texted friends that her dad “took matters into his own hands and took care of it.” Once again, humane officers went to the residence – this time, they noticed a shovel “that appeared to be recently used to dig soil.”

A notice of investigation was left at the residence and days later, Saxton went to the Brookhaven Police Department to turn himself in. The following excerpt is his account of how Denali was killed:

He was sitting on the living room couch taking his work boots off when Denali started barking and lunged at him. Saxton pushed the dog backwards and Denali came back and started to nip at Saxton’s ear area but did not bite.

Saxton then stood up and grabbed a dog leash that was on the end table near the couch and wrapped it around Denali’s neck in an attempt to strangle Denali with the intent to kill him.

Denali fell to the floor after the struggle and Saxton thought he was dead, however Denali was gasping for air and Saxton saw his chest rising and falling.

Saxton then went into the kitchen and retrieved a large knife and returned to Denali, who was still on the floor.

Saxton used the knife to lacerate the dog’s throat.

Saxton also said that he smashed a candle holder over Denali’s head hard enough to break it.

The family claimed that Denali bit their daughter, but they did not seek medical treatment.

Sign: Man Strangled And Slashed Throat Of Newly Adopted Dog - Animal Victory

Brookhaven, PA - On August 26, a handsome dog named Denali was adopted from the Providence Animal Center where he was a favorite among staff. But Denali's happily-ever-after did not happen because his new owner brutally killed him in October.

animalvictory.org

Please sign the petition in the link

 

[Metalfan]

With all of the humans deserving of death.....

 

[Sejanus]

We know who the animal is in this story.
Saxton needs some seriously brutal torture leveled at him.

 

[Future_Milf]

Scum. This is why I stay away from the animal stories.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The daughter better never let this monster babysit any children she has or may have in the future.

A Brookhaven man was sentenced to three years of probation after admitting that he killed a dog his daughter had rescued from the Providence Animal Center.

David Saxton, 62, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals in the October death of Denali, a 60-pound coonhound, during a brief before Delaware County Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan.

Saxton told investigators that Denali had tried to lunge at him and bite him in his living room, and that the dog had previously bitten other members of his family.


He said he strangled the dog with its leash, and then beat it in the head with a metal candleholder when he saw it was still breathing. Saxton also said he slit the dog’s throat with a kitchen knife and buried its body in his backyard, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

At the time of the dog’s death, the family said they were trying to return the dog to the shelter because of its behavioral issues.

Assistant District Attorney Sean McNabb asked Brennan to sentence Saxton to time in county jail, saying the facts of the case were “brutal and horrific,” and had garnered widespread attention from animal rights activists, many of whom had crowded into Brenann’s courtroom for the proceeding.

Saxton’s attorney, Christine Cregar, argued for him to be sentenced to probation, saying that he had no history of violence, had taken care of dogs his entire life, and had cooperated with investigators and prosecutors.

“He did not wake up that morning with the intent to kill that dog,” Cregar said. “Unfortunately, Denali had some behavioral issues, with a documented history of biting previous owners and of biting other members of the Saxton family.”

She noted that Saxton and his family had contacted 15 shelters in an attempt to surrender the dog, but had been unsuccessful.

Erica Saxton adopted Denali on Aug. 26 from Providence Animal Shelter, according to the affidavit. At the time, she was notified of Denali’s behavioral history, and signed a liability waiver saying the dog may need professional training.

On Oct. 4, she submitted a formal request to surrender Denali, telling the shelter that the dog had bitten her. The shelter initially agreed to take the dog back on Oct. 20, but moved that date up to Oct. 10 after David Saxton’s wife, who was recovering from breast cancer, reported that the dog had bitten her, as well.

The day before, a Humane Society officer performed a welfare check at the Saxton family’s home after shelter workers learned that the Saxtons had made appointments at two veterinarian offices for Denali to be euthanized, both of which were later canceled, according to testimony at Saxton’s preliminary hearing. No one was home at the time.

David Saxton then turned himself in to Brookhaven Police days later.

In an interview with detectives, Saxton admitted he had killed the dog and that he was “not proud of what he did,” the affidavit said. Saxton said he had come home from work and was sitting on his living room couch taking off his work boots when Denali started barking and lunging at him.


Saxton repeatedly pushed the dog away, but Denali returned to nip at his ear. Saxton told Bell he “snapped” and grabbed the dog’s leash, the affidavit said, before strangling and beating it to death.

After killing Denali, Saxton wrapped the dog in a trash bag and buried it in his backyard. Investigators later recovered the dog’s corpse from that makeshift grave.

He killed his daughter’s dog after it tried to bite him. A Delco judge sentenced him to probation.

David Saxton admitted to beating and strangling Denali, a 60-pound coonhound, after the dog lunged at him and tried to bite him in October.

www.inquirer.com

The shelter may have not liked it but they should have brought the dog to the shelter handed him off to someone and left.

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

I don't believe this for a New York minute:

"Saxton told investigators that Denali had tried to lunge at him and bite him in his living room, and that the dog had previously bitten other members of his family."

 

[Satanica]

He’ll no that didn’t happen.

 

[Angiebla]

I dont know about other shelters, but the one Im with will take any animal we adopt out back. Doesnt matter if its been years, we take them back. Even the violent cats and rabbits.