Silver Spring Man Charged With Killing Puppy Who Made Mess on Floor

A Silver Spring man killed a Jack Russell Terrier puppy for going to the bathroom on the carpet in his home, Montgomery police said after charging the man with aggravated animal cruelty and abuse or neglect of an animal.

Alec Eugene Taylor, 27, was arrested by the Montgomery County Police-Animal Services Division, according to a news release from the department.

Police had been called to the 13800 block of Castle Boulevard in Silver Spring on Feb. 28.  The complainant, Taylor’s girlfriend, stated that Taylor had beaten and killed their 7-month-old Jack Russell Terrier named Rocko.

The girlfriend had received a text message from Taylor two days earlier stating that he had killed the dog — and texted a photograph of what appeared to be a lifeless dog, police said.

Taylor allegedly told his girlfriend that he was tired of cleaning up the dog’s defecation and that he had beaten the dog with a mop. The woman buried the dog at a neighborhood park in Hyattsville.

During the investigation, Animal Services Division officers also spoke with Taylor, police said, and he stated that he used a mop to force Rocko from behind the dryer and then used his hands to choke Rocko until he was dead.

Taylor turned himself into officers Wednesday and was transported to the Central Processing Unit.