Owner charged after dog found beaten with baseball bat

A Battle Creek man has been charged after police found his dog badly beaten on his back porch.

The husky mix had been beaten with an aluminum baseball bat and shot at least once with a pellet rifle when officers arrived.

A Battle Creek police officer shot and killed the dog Tuesday night because of the severity of its wounds.

Police Major Austin Simons tells the Kalamazoo Gazette that the dog was suffering and the officer shot it once to “put him out of his misery.”

Its 54-year-old owner told officers the dog had been behaving aggressively and bit another man’s hand.

David Hursley was arraigned Wednesday in Calhoun County District Court on killing or torturing an animal and animal cruelty charges. A March 1 preliminary examination is scheduled.  (AP)