Cant belive this, another animal abuse story  

how can people do this

A 5-month-old puppy is in the hospital after officials took him from his owner -- humane officers said it's one of the worst cases of animal abuse they've ever seen.


puppy doctors have nicknamed slugger was taken to the Castle Shannon Animal Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Doctors said he?s lucky to be a live, but far from being out of the woods.

?It?s very sad. It's terrible. It's terrible to think people treat animals like this,? said humane officer Marcia Rothaar, of the Washington County Humane Society.

Rothaar responded to a disturbing report from neighbors that Slugger?s owner was viciously beating him.

?They said the dog had been beat with a bat -- with a wooden bat -- and had been thrown against a trailer,? said Rothaar.

When she arrived the man freely admitted to beating the dog, but he couldn?t understand why she was there. He said he was simply reprimanding the animal.

?He didn't think there was anything wrong with it,? said Rothaar. ?He said he was punishing the dog because it went to the bathroom in the house.?

For his indiscretion Slugger found himself with an enormous swelling on his back, a huge lump on his head and missing most of his teeth.

The prognosis for Slugger is still unknown. Doctors working on him said they were afraid he might have swelling of the brain and kept him overnight.

The Washington area Humane Society said slugger is doing much better Sunday. He has been released from the hospital and resides in a foster home.

The organization intends to file animal cruelty charges against the owner next week.

State police are investigating the case. If the owner is arrested and convicted of animal cruelty, he could face jail time.

Police have released the owners name because he has not been formally charged yet.