Published: October 24, 2008 07:18 am      

Science Hill man charged with maiming puppy with scissors

Local News

A Pulaski County man was arrested on animal cruelty charges this week after he allegedly attempted to cut a dog’s ears and tail off with a pair of scissors.

According to Science Hill Police Chief Robbie Gossett, Michael Salyers, of Science Hill, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with second-degree animal cruelty after he reportedly cut through a young puppy’s ears and tail with a pair of scissors.

Gossett said Salyers pulled the puppy, estimated to be between eight and 10 weeks old, from an acquaintance’s car and attempted to first cut through the puppy’s ears and tail with a pocket knife.

When that didn’t work, he used a pair of scissors.

Gossett said Salyers cut completely through the dog’s tail and did substantial damage to it’s ears before he was arrested.

“It looked kind of like a saw mark,” Gossett said. “It looked like it had been ripped apart real bad.”

The acquaintance rushed the puppy to a local veterinarian, who repaired the damage to the ears and tail.

Gossett said Salyers told police that he attempted to cut the puppy’s ears and tail because he thought it would look good.

“He thought (the puppy) would look better with the ears and tail off,” Gossett said.

Salyers was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center.