Man guilty of biting, blinding dog

The state attorneys said they plan to ask for more than one year in prison for Etzle because he has a history of violence, including against his mother.

David Etzel, 37, was found guilty of felony animal cruelty charges for the shocking attack on a Shih Tzu named Cujo.

According to prosecutors, the Lake Worth, Fla., man was teasing the dog while drinking, prompting the dog, Cujo, to bite him.

He responded by chomping down on the dog and wringing its tiny neck, Etzel’s mother Michelle told the Palm Beach County court.

Etzel argued that Cujo bit him first, but the jury took less than 30 minutes to reject that defense.

According to the Associated Press, though a veterinarian was able to get Cujo’s eye back into its socket, eyesight was lost in the damaged eye. A veterinarian told deputies the injuries were comparable to being hit by a vehicle or attacked by another dog. Later, she added: “My son needs alcohol treatment, and he needs anger management treatment”.

Etzle is expected to be sentenced on Friday.