SALT LAKE CITY ─ November 13, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) ─ A Salt Lake City teenager has been charged with abusing a dog. The 4-month-old border collie named Moose later died from his injuries.
Mikah M. Johnson, 19, is charged in Third District Court with three counts of torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony, and two counts of animal cruelty. The abuse allegedly occurred during incidents in July and August. The dog died Aug. 18.
According to charging documents, Johnson’s roommates and a neighbor reported hearing Johnson beat the dog on multiple occasions. Johnson’s girlfriend reported seeing him kick the dog down stairs at the apartment, resulting in a cut to the dog’s chin.
An autopsy on the dog showed he had been the victim of at least two recent incidents of blunt-force trauma, as well as severe bruising, extensive hemorrhaging in his lungs, a fractured liver and jaw, corneal ulcers and missing teeth.
A trial date is pending.
