A North Side man killed his dog by repeatedly kicking it and yanking on its leash while walking the animals in West Ridge last month, prosecutors said this week.
Bardomiano Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 35, is charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals in connection with the incident, which occurred around 7:50 p.m. April 5 on the 2100 block of West Arthur.
Three people who live in a nearby apartment building told police they heard yelping noises and looked outside to see Gonzalez-Rodriguez kicking a 13-year-old Terrier mix three or four times, Assistant State’s Attorney Sean Kelly said.
One of the witnesses allegedly saw Gonzalez-Rodriguez yank on the dog’s leash while yelling, “Come on!”
A fourth witness got out of a car and confronted Gonzalez-Rodriguez.
When police arrived, all four witnesses were on scene and Gonzalez-Rodriguez was holding the dog, which had died, Kelly said.
Gonzalez-Rodriguez reportedly told officers the dog suffered from seizures and that condition could be how the animal died.
Chicago Animal Care and Control staff examined the dog and found it had bruising over its body, Kelly said. They concluded that the animal suffered internal bleeding and may have died from a liver laceration.
Gonzalez-Rodriguez told police he dragged the dog because it was moving slowly, but he denied kicking the animal, according to Kelly.
An assistant public defender said Gonzalez-Rodriguez lives with his girlfriend and three children and manages a service station.
Judge Kelly McCarthy set his bail at $40,000 and ordered him to not possess any animals. Gonzalez-Rodriguez must post 10% of the bail amount to get out of jail.
