Charges: Maple Lake Man Hit Dog To 'Show Him Who Was Boss'
WRIGHT COUNTY, Minn. (WCCO) - A Maple Lake man has been charged after allegedly beating a dog to show him "who was boss."
Patrick Remer, 58, faces one count of mistreatment of animals in Wright County.
According to the criminal complaint, sheriff's deputies arrived to a Wright County home around 10 p.m. on Jan. 25 on the report of an unwanted person. There they saw a one-year-old purebread blue heeler dog named Buddy, who had a partially swollen left eye and partially swollen face.
The deputies asked Remer what happened, and he admitted to hitting the dog to "show him who was boss," the complaint says.
The authorities spoke to a woman, who said she had gone to sleep around 10 p.m. the night before, and heard Remer hitting Buddy while yelling at him, court documents say. When she asked Remer what happened the next day, he allegedly said "I'm so sorry Buddy, I just get so angry."
The next day, the woman took Buddy to the veterinarian, and a few days later, deputies learned that Buddy had inflammation around the eye, a mild fracture, and a hemorrhage in the retina.
The vet said that Buddy was "hit with an object such as a hammer or his head was slammed into the ground or concrete wall."
The mistreatment of animals charge carries a maximum sentence of one year, if convicted.