- Pennsylvania, USA -
30-years-old TERRELL WALTON (pictured), a former employee of Philadelphia's Animal Care and Control Team was arrested on Friday, July 29, in connection with the death of a family dog in August 2021.
WPVI reports that on August 4, 2021, Ms. Tiffany Lavelle was with her dog, a Pitbull named Saint and her boyfriend when the boyfriend was arrested following a traffic stop.
Saint was taken into a Philadelphia police officer’s cruiser and transported to ACCT Philly’s facility at 111 W. Hunting Park Avenue in North Philadelphia.
At the facility as per protocol, the police officer left the vehicle so that a trained ACCT employee could remove Saint from the vehicle and take him into the building.
The police officer saw WALTON jab at Saint with a metal catch pole several times, making the furbaby yelp. As a result of the trauma inflicted upon him by WALTON, Saint’s jaw was broken.
As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jane Roh spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner, said that “As Saint was taken into ACCT, the officer attempted to get Walton’s information to report what he had observed, but was prevented by an ACCT employee from following the animal into the building.”
Saint was sadly euthanized and according to Ms. Lavelle, she was never told that Saint would be euthanized so she has since filed a lawsuit against ACCT.
Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Ms. Lavelle “alleged that she attempted to take Saint home before the dog was euthanized but was told by ACCT Philly that she could not without an appointment from a veterinarian to treat the broken jaw. Lavelle did not have an appointment, she said. Saint reportedly was euthanized within 12 hours of arriving at ACCT Philly.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, ACCT Philly issued a statement saying what happened to Saint “is heartbreaking and unacceptable. And to now have additional information that indicates the injury happened while in our care is deeply troubling. Nothing we can say will change this, or eliminate the deep hurt Saint’s family has experienced.”
As for WALTON, he is now facing one Felony count of aggravated animal cruelty and a Misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.
Online records show he is being held at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF).
WALTON’s initial court appearance has been set for August 4, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., while his preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 12, 2022, at 8:00 a.m.
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