A 40-year-old Vancouver man allegedly stabbed his family’s dog because it showed more affection toward his mother than him, court records say.
Richard T. Halls appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree animal cruelty. Judge Daniel Stahnke set Halls’ bail at $25,000. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Clark County Jail booking documents state Halls has “known, stated or observed mental health issues.” His mother told police Halls has a mental illness and had not been taking his medication.
Vancouver police were dispatched around 6 p.m. Sunday to the home Halls shares with his mother in the Mountain View neighborhood. Halls attempted to kill the family’s black Labrador retriever by stabbing it in the back between the shoulder blades, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Police reportedly observed the dog conscious and alert, lying on a bed with a black-handled knife protruding from its back. The dog was rushed to a veterinarian; its current condition is unknown, court records say.
Halls was arrested at the home and spoke with officers after being read his Miranda rights, the affidavit says. The officer who wrote the affidavit noted that Halls answered every question and appeared to be aware of the severity of the situation.
Halls reportedly told police he became upset over the dog because it would not love him back but was loyal to his mother. He said he had become increasingly aware of the dog’s “evil nature” because it barked at him every time he moved, the affidavit says.
He said “he didn’t feel sorry, and that he believed the dog was getting in between his mother and him,” the affidavit reads.
Halls’ mother reported that he was acting normal earlier in the day. But after they attended church and returned home, she witnessed Halls run into her bedroom, then come out and admit to stabbing the dog, according to the affidavit.
Jerzy Shedlock: 360-735-4522; jerzy.shedlock@columbian.com; twitter.com/jerzyms
