A 15-year-old Hollister boy was arrested last week after posting a video to social media showing him throwing a puppy to the ground, according to Hollister police.
On Jan. 30, officers with Sunnyvale Animal Control contacted Hollister Police Animal Care and Services regarding a report of animal cruelty involving a teen and an 8-month old, black and white Maltese named Bella in the city of Hollister, police said.
The Sunnyvale officers obtained a Snapchat video depicting the suspect posing with a toy breed dog in his arms before throwing the dog to the ground, police said. The video appeared to show the puppy landed about 7-10 feet in front of the suspect.
Hollister officers discovered there were other incidents of cruelty that had previously been unreported involving the same dog and the same suspect, police said. Sunnyvale Animal Control also had details of a previous incident in which the suspect had allegedly kicked the small dog and it landed several feet away.
On Feb. 1, Hollister officers confirmed the identity of the juvenile and the location of his home. They took custody of Bella, who was transported to a veterinarian for a health examination and then taken to the Hollister Animal Shelter, police said.
On Feb. 3, the boy was taken into custody at his home and booked at San Benito County Juvenile Hall on charges of felony animal cruelty, police said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call AC Supervisor Kara Ells at 831-636-4320. Persons wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME. Information provided to WeTip may qualify for a reward.
