PENN HILLS, Allegheny County — A 22-year-old Allegheny County man was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after police say he drowned a puppy in a toilet, according to Penn Hills Police.
Branden Washington, of Pittsburgh, allegedly killed the dog, a 6-month-old black labrador puppy, after becoming angry when the animal urinated on his bed, police say.
The incident was reported to police by a neighbor last Saturday, according to the criminal complaint.
The neighbor said Washington’s roommate told him Washington was highly upset. He allegedly grabbed the dog and slammed it against a wall, breaking its back. He then took the animal to the bathroom, placed it in the toilet head first, and drowned it.
Washington’s roommate told the neighbor where the dog’s body was located, police say. The neighbor took a police officer to a yard behind Washington’s residence, where the body was found in a black garbage bag, according to police.
Washington will have a preliminary hearing on June 25, police say.
