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Florida Man Who Killed and Cooked Pit-Bull Puppy Faces Judge

Last week, we told you the horrifying news of a man who strangled his pit-bull puppy, sliced it into pieces, and cooked it for dinner. Thomas Elliot Huggins, a 25-year-old Tampa man, was arrested and booked in the Hillsborough County Jail on animal cruelty charges Friday. See also: Florida Man...
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Last week, we told you the horrifying news of a man who strangled his pit-bull puppy, sliced it into pieces, and cooked it for dinner.

Thomas Elliot Huggins, a 25-year-old Tampa man, was arrested and booked in the Hillsborough County Jail on animal cruelty charges Friday.

See also: Florida Man Kills and Cooks Pit Bull Puppy

On Saturday morning, he appeared before a judge.

We've also learned the pup's name was Bandit, now making this whole story even sadder, if that was possible.

According to police, Huggins strangled his family's 4-month-old pit-bull pup, cut it into several pieces, and placed them in the freezer. When police arrived at Huggins' home, they noticed a pot with Bandit's ribs cooking on the stove.

Huggins discarded the dog's head in the garbage can.

The question remains, why?

According to Huggins' mother, who called police on her son, it might be marijuana that made him do this gruesome thing.

Huggins had also become extremely religious, according to his mother. She told investigators her son would claim he was following orders from "the Lord."

One neighbor told wptv.com that she was in "total shock" when she heard what had happened to Bandit. She remembers seeing the puppy playing outside with her own dog.

John Pisacane, a neighbor who gave Bandit to Huggins as a gift, says he felt sick to his stomach. Pisacane's dog had a litter of puppies, so he gave one of them to Huggins.

"That was one of my pups, and right now I feel sick to my stomach," Pisacane said.

According to police, Huggins doesn't see that he did anything wrong.

His neighbors, meanwhile, are hopeful the law will come down hard on Huggins.

"All of us around here love our animals," Pisacane said. "I hope he gets what's coming to him."

On Saturday, the judge set Huggins' bond at $10,000.

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