Dog Owner 'Tortures,' Beats Pet As 'Corrective Action' For Damaging Home, Incident Caught On Camera

An arrest warrant was issued for a dog owner in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Friday after he was caught on camera beating his pet.

According to the court documents, police responded to 41-year-old Miguel Martinez’s home Wednesday evening after a neighbor brought a video to the police station which showed Martinez abusing a dog. In the video, the man was seen “torturing a small multi-colored dog.” He can be seen holding a “long black object” and beating the dog with it.

“The dog was then heard yelping loudly multiple times while attempting to get away from Mr. Martinez,” police said, adding that the dog then manages to escape. However, Martinez follows it and continues beating it.

The officers met the accused at the residence. When asked about his pets, the man said he had an adult female dog, which was in his car, and three puppies, which were in the home. The officers entered the residence to check the welfare of the puppies and found them in the bedroom.

When confronted about the incident caught on camera, the accused said he took “corrective action” against the female dog for damaging the side of the house. He told the officers that he hit the dog with a belt.

Following the confession, officers removed the female dog and the puppies from his home and transported them to Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialities (VETS). Neither the dog nor the puppies seemed to be injured. Martinez was charged with animal cruelty and an arrest warrant was issued for him Friday morning. It was not immediately known if the man was taken into custody later in the day.