A pit bull puppy is in critical but stable condition after it was stabbed in the head and badly beaten in Monticello by a man who police say has a long criminal history and was on parole.
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The attack on Sunday left the 5-month-old puppy, named Cassidy, so badly hurt that the photos of the dog's injuries that News 12 obtained by rescuers are too graphic to show without blurring them.
Monticello police say 34-year-old Rawle Reynolds, from Brooklyn, was arrested for aggravated animal cruelty for severely beating and stabbing the dog in the head.
Authorities say Reynold’s girlfriend called 911 around midnight for help from an apartment on Harmony Lane during the dog’s beating and that when officers arrived the animal was heard crying out in pain. The puppy was found severely injured and bleeding on the floor of a bathroom that Reynolds was exiting, police say.
Joanne Gerow, with Catskill Animal Rescue, was called by authorities to help care for Cassidy following the incident.
“This brought me to my knees emotionally. It was devastating to see. This is not something that a person with any type of compassion in their heart would do to any creature,” says Gerow.
Gerow says Cassidy has multiple broken bones and a critical head injury. The dog is currently receiving veterinary treatment at Guardian Veterinary Specialists in Brewster.
Monticello police say Reynolds often stays in Monticello and was on parole for an armed home invasion in Sullivan County in 2017. They say he was arrested by their department 17 times before.
Reynolds is being held in Sullivan County Jail without bail. Police say a restraining order was granted for his girlfriend’s protection.
