Man Admits To Removing Part Of Pet Puppy's Eye With Heated Knife

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Tuesday to removing a part of his pet puppy's eye with a heated knife.

The accused, identified as Ray Martin of New Holland, had been charged with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. Officials said the incident took place in July 2020 at Martin's residence. The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Lancaster County Detectives said Martin sold the English Bulldog puppy to an unidentified man. The person who purchased the puppy found the canine was missing part of its eye.

The unidentified man contacted local authorities saying at the time of purchase he was not given any surgical or veterinary records or an explanation about the puppy’s condition, Local 21 News reported.

The Pennsylvania SPCA immediately launched an investigation and took Martin into custody. During questioning, he admitted to removing a cherry eye, which is an inflamed or prolapsed gland of the third eyelid. Martin said he heated a knife and removed the cherry eye. Authorities said the procedure was done in Martin’s residence without anesthesia or pain medication.

Martin had already surrendered 17 dogs to the Pennsylvania SPCA as part of his plea deal, authorities said, adding he will also have two years of probation and will be prohibited from owning, contacting, controlling, possessing, or gaining financial profit from dogs for five years, according to ABC 27 reported.

Local authorities urged the public to report any information on this case or any information on any animal cruelty cases by contacting Pennsylvania SPCA’s cruelty hotline at 866-601-7722.

Last month in another case of animal cruelty, nearly 100 starving dogs were rescued after they were found locked up inside a home in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Several canines, including puppies, were also found dead.

A rescue operation was carried out with the assistance of local police and nonprofit Cross Your Paws Rescue. The incident came to light after neighbors alerted authorities to the home because of the foul smell and intense barking. Most of the dogs found inside the house were malnourished and scared, Cross Your Paws said. A mother and her son were reportedly hoarding the dogs, and were trying to smuggle some of the puppies.