PARK CITY, Utah (ABC4) – A Summit County man has been accused of torturing a puppy with a pool cue.
According to the affidavit, video was provided to the Sheriff’s Office of 38-year-old Daryl Zeller striking a 3-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy in the head. The video was taken in August but was not given to authorities until early November.
The sheriff’s deputy notes Zeller is seen in the video walking around a pool table, grabbing cue, and hitting the puppy in the head. The dog then screams and runs away from Zeller, who allegedly chased the pup into a room and slammed the door shut.
The puppy can be heard again screaming in pain, according to the affidavit.
Zeller was arrested on one count of torturing a companion animal, a third-degree felony in the state of Utah. If formally charged and convicted on this count, Zeller could face up to five years in prison and a possible fine up to $5,000.
This is the second animal cruelty case reported in the last month. In late October, an 18-year-old Davis County man was arrested for allegedly torturing several guinea pigs and posting videos of his actions on YouTube.
A man was recently arrested for stabbing a dog to death at a Salt Lake City inn in October. At the time of the man’s arrest, the dog’s body had not been found.
