Teen beats dog with bat -- but who's to blame?

sltrib ^ | 06/20/2009

[JoeProBono]

[neutrino]

pushed his granddaughter out of the way

Sounds like assault to me. Pursue it as such. Since flyers were handed out, there is a business behind the little dirtbag. Make sure they get lots of adverse publicity.

[ElayneJ]

This boy needs to get sent far away. I’ll just stop there. Anyone who abuses an animal deserves no sympathy.

[flintsilver7]

The boy should probably be put down. There’s no excuse for that - the child is defective and it’s only going to get worse.

The police and animal control also appear to be braindead. Unless Salt Lake has the most draconian laws in the country, you are most certainly not required to keep your animals restrained on your own property.

[JoeProBono]

[pray4liberty]

I would have sued the teen’s parents for the vet bill in small claims court.

[flintsilver7]

Portrait of a sociopath.

[pray4liberty]

As horrible as this is, too bad somebody didn’t film it and call 911...this is just insane. The boy looks like a demented young Dustin Hoffman.

[mysterio]

Throw dog abusers in jail like they were child abusers.

[Popman]

The boy should probably be put down. There’s no excuse for that - the child is defective and it’s only going to get worse.

I betcha you are pro life as well < /s >

[DJ MacWoW]

"They said the kid had the right to protect himself," Sweat said.

I agree but was the boy carrying a bat with him or did he go get one? If he went and got it, the kid was not defending himself. This then becomes an attack on the dog and not selfdefense.

[pray4liberty]

Sweat said the dog barked at the boy, who responded by telling Sweat's 12-year-old granddaughter to control her dog and stop it from attacking him.

Liar. If a dog like that "attacked" him, he'd feel it somewhere.

[LongElegantLegs]

Where’s that photo from?

[pray4liberty]

Sweat said his granddaughter told him that the teen called for the dog to come to him, then began hitting the dog with the bat.

That's not what I'd call self-defense.

[flintsilver7]

Are you suggesting a completely innocent baby and a sociopathic teen who beats another person’s pet with a baseball bat deserve the same chance at life?

Simple question.

[JoeProBono]

Tyler Weinman, 18, is shown after his arrest in connection with a series of cat killings and mutilations in his Miami-area community. (AP Photo / Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office)

[pray4liberty]

I find it very appropriate that a dog would bark to get a teenage boy away from a 12 year old girl. This world is perverse.

Hope the grandfather puts up a fence, I would.

This kid should be charged with animal cruelty, assault of a minor and trespassing, but methinks he must have 'connections' of some sort to get away with the crap he has.

[LongElegantLegs]

Ah, I see...

[SoCal Pubbie]

The cops would be the least of that kid’s worries if it had happened to my dog.

[DJ MacWoW]

I don’t either but what the granddaughter said can’t be proved. I DO believe her. My point was that the officials statement is not logical as the kid would have had to be carrying the bat. Wonder if the kids parents have influence etc.