ELYRIA, Ohio — An Elyria man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly punching a small dog and trying to drown it last month.
According to Lorain Court of Common Pleas records, 37-year-old John P. Glover, II, is charged with cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony; cruelty to companion animals, a first-degree misdemeanor; cruelty to animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, and domestic violence.
The attack happened on July 3 at a home in the 800 block of South Logan Street, Elyria.
According to an Elyria police report, Glover had been drinking all day and became increasingly agitated at a small 10- to 15-pound dog his father was dog-sitting.
At some point, Glover walked up to the dog, picked it up by the neck, and punched it repeatedly, according to the report. The dog scurried off and hid underneath some furniture. Glover tried to reach under the couch to grab the dog, but it bit him on the hand in an "act of self defense."
Glover eventually caught the animal, took it to the bathroom with him, and that's when his father called the police, the report states.
When officers arrived, they located Glover standing in the driveway drinking a can of beer. Glover appeared "highly intoxicated," was not wearing a shirt and had blood dripping from his hands, according to the report.
Once inside, police discovered the sink overflowing in the bathroom and the shower running. The dog was lying in the bath and had a cut on its head, the report states.
Glover denied hurting the dog and said he was not an animal abuser despite officers not asking him any questions about the incident. Officers found it challenging to listen to Glover as he "rambled and jumped to different parts of his story," the report stated.
News 5 has reached out to authorities to find if the dog survived the ordeal.
Glover's next court date has not been determined.
