Man Hanged His Dog From a Tree, West Palm Beach Cops Say

Some dog owners are cruel, which is bad enough on its own. But some dog owners are just assholes. West Palm Beach resident Reginald Johnson was unhappy about something his gray pitbull Trinity did, so he decided to punish her. By hanging her on a tree...

By Chris Joseph

January 18, 2013

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Some dog owners are cruel, which is bad enough on its own.

But some dog owners are just assholes.

West Palm Beach resident Reginald Johnson was unhappy about something his gray pitbull Trinity did, so he decided to punish her.

By hanging her on a tree.

According to Palm Beach County deputies, Johnson, 37, wrapped a leash around the dog's neck and then draped the leash over the limb of a tree outside his home in the 4700 block of Hairland Drive just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

Johnson then reportedly pulled down on the leash, raising Trinity three feet off the ground. He left the dog hanging there.

A neighbor heard the dog screaming and yelping, police say, and saw Johnson holding onto the end of the leash.

Trinity hung by the neck for at least three minutes. But she managed to struggle and wriggle her way off the leash. She eventually broke free and fell to the ground, surviving her struggle.

Johnson was charged with animal cruelty. He was released on $3,000 bond.

Trinity was taken into Animal Care and Control's custody to have her looked over for injuries by a veterinarian.

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