Texas man stabs dog for allegedly killing his chicken

LEANDER, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - A Texas man is accused of stabbing his nephew's dog for allegedly killing his chicken over a year ago. 46-year-old Jay Owen Petit was charged with cruelty to animals — a third-degree felony punishable with up to 10 years in prison.

According to the Travis County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a Leander residence in the 13700 block of Cedar Ridge Street around 12: 30 p.m. after dispatched recived a call about a cruelty to animals disturbance on Saturday, January 19. When deputies arrived on scene, they found a dog with a serious bodily injury, as well as a steak knife covered in blood and fur.

Petit's 28-year-old nephew, who lives in a seperate residence on the same property, told deputies that he and his uncle had argued earlier in the day. Later, Petit's nephew heard his dog Jess yelping and barking, When he went to check on Jess, he discovered Petit holding the dog down on the ground.

As Petit's nephew approached his uncle, he realized he was holding a black handled steak knife and that the blade was buried into Jess' left shoulder. The nephew told his spouse to call 911 and approached Jess to remove the knife. He presented the knife in a sealed plastic bags to deputies when they arrived on scene. 

According to deputies, the blade was approximaytely 3.5 inches excluding the handle. It was also completely covered in blood and had dog fur on it, according to court documents. 

Petit was questioned by deputies and openly admitted to attacking Jess and apparently showed no remorse. When asked by deputies why he tortured the dog, Petit said Jess had killed his chicken approximately a year ago.