A Provo man who reportedly beat his puppy is facing a felony charge.
Eric John Taylor, 32, has been charged in Fourth District Court with torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony.
According to charging documents, Taylor “repeatedly beat” his 9-month-old Labrador between March 1 and April 10. In one instance, he “beat the dog's head against the concrete floor of a garage, causing the dog to have a golf-ball sized lump on his head the next day.”
One of Taylor’s roommates reported that on April 10, he was awakened by the sound of the dog being beaten; he recorded video as the dog was thrown across a deck. Taylor then called the dog, and when it “refused to comply and cowered,” he pulled the dog and punched the animal several times.
According to police, in the video, “you can hear [Taylor] yelling at the dog, the dog whining and the sounds of the punches on the dog.”
Taylor was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court May 22.
The dog was taken in by an animal shelter.
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