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Man Accused Of Stabbing Dog To Death

ST. LUCIE COUNTY (CBS4) - A Ft. Pierce man has been charged with animal cruelty after he reportedly killed his dog by stabbing it more than two dozen times.

Joseph Barker, 35, allegedly paid a friend $20 to drive him and his three year old pit bull to a canal on January 8th. The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said once there Barker hit the dog several times on the head with a tire iron before throwing it into the canal. But when he saw that the dog was still alive and trying to climb up the embankment, Barker reportedly grabbed it and repeatedly stabbed it in the neck.

A family member who heard about what Barker allegedly did found the dog's body at the canal and called police.

The sheriff's office said Barker, who is currently jailed without bail, told investigators he did it because he was tired of the dog's incessant barking.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

 

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