INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Texas Man Allegedly Strangled Dog With Extension Cord

By Chelsea Hoffman
Published on: 03:25 PST, Dec 11, 2015

A Texas man has been arrested after authorities in Breckenridge say he strangled his roommate’s dog. The Dreamin’ Demon reports that 19-year-old Tyson Kurkowski has a lengthy criminal history and now faces up to two years in prison in the crime he is accused of committing.

It’s a horrific story that could make any animal lover’s heartache. The horrifying incident was discovered on December 7 when some children in the Breckenridge area discovered a suitcase floating in a creek. They retrieved the item and opened it to see what was inside of it. To their shock, the suitcase contained a dead beagle-mix dog, which had an extension cord around its neck. It was apparent that the poor animal had been strangled to death with the cord before it was callously discarded in a suitcase that was tossed into the creek.

Authorities in the area did not hesitate during this investigation. KTXS News reports that investigators scoured surveillance footage near the point where they believe the helpless animal had been discarded. They also checked with area vets since the dog appeared to be someone’s pet. By the end of their investigation, Breckenridge authorities discovered that the beagle-mix did, in fact, belong to someone — the roommate of Texas man Tyson Kurkowski. The owner of the dog had been out of town for a short time, leaving his dog in the care of the 19-year-old — not realizing that he would never see his beloved pet again.

It didn’t take long for Kurkowski to be arrested. He’s been charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals, a crime that can carry a sentence of up to two years in jail in the state of Texas. Breckenridge Police Chief Larry Mahan has expressed disgust at the alleged actions of the 19-year-old man.

“I can’t see why anyone could do that. If a dog stays at my house two days, it’s part of the family. It just floors me that anyone could treat an animal this way.”

Animal cruelty isn’t the only accusation against Tyson Kurkowski. At only 19-years-old, the Texas man has been arrested numerous times in his life. In just the last year alone, he has been arrested at least 16 times. Charges against him have piled up over this span of time, ranging from drug possession and stealing a vehicle to criminal mischief. He is currently being held in jail on bond in the amount of $10,000 and showed absolutely no remorse in the mugshot taken of him, that is now circulating in online media reports.

Tyson Kurkowski isn’t the first Texas man to get arrested for gruesome crimes against animals. Earlier this month, a man from Seguin, Texas, was arrested in an animal cruelty case that involved the near-death of a dog who has been rescued. The dog, named Bill by its rescuers, was found with a rope tied so tightly around its neck that it had nearly been decapitated. The rope had to be surgically removed from the poor animal. Bill was also “severely malnourished” and had to be taught how to eat along with other basic skills. The dog is currently recovering in an animal hospital, and 39-year-old Mario Perez is sitting in jail.

Also this month, a story went viral involving a Corpus Christi man, who was allegedly caught on video punching a dog. The female pit bull mix, named Missy, has been rescued, but anger still surrounds the viral video showing the senseless abuse on the docile and friendly dog.

[Image via Breckenridge Police mugshot]

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