KOKOMO — A rural Kokomo man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after he allegedly amputated a leg off his dog at his home.
According to a report from the Howard County Sheriff's Office, deputies were notified of the allegation of animal cruelty on Jan. 28.
Deputies said the man told detectives his dog was struck by a vehicle in March 2020 and suffered extensive injuries. The man told deputies he took the dog to a veterinarian for treatment and that the dog had to stay several days before coming home.
The man reportedly told investigators that over the past several weeks one of the dog's legs had developed gangrene and began to rot away. The man said he reached out to several veterinarians for help but that he didn't have the money to take the dog in, which led the man to research how to amputate the dog's leg himself, deputies said.
According to the sheriff's office, the man said he performed the procedure at his home on Jan. 26. The man allegedly told deputies he clean the leg with peroxide, shaved it, and rubbed it with alcohol before he cut off the leg with a Dremel tool. The man allegedly said he did not use anesthetics and that the dog "laid perfectly still and did not bark."
According to court records, the man has been charged with one level 6 felony count of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal.
The sheriff's office said the care and custody of the dog have been turned over to the Kokomo Humane Society.
