Two 17-year-old boys accused of severely beating a family dog during a burglary hit the dog twice with a baseball bat, according to court documents.
The teens were charged Friday with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, in 3rd District Juvenile Court. Prosecutors believe they are the first felony charges filed using the new Henry's Law, which allows some cases of animal cruelty to be charged as felonies.
The teens were also charged with burglary of a dwelling and theft, both second-degree felonies.
On Aug. 16, police say, the two teens went to the Riverton home of Ryan and Vicky Kunz, who were on vacation. One of the teens broke into the house through a basement window and then opened the door for the other teen, according to court documents.
The boys went though the house, taking certain items and throwing them in a backpack. The stolen property included a handgun, a diamond platinum ring, a purse and coins from a coin jar, according to court documents. The total value of all items taken was more than $5,000.
During the course of the burglary, the Kunzes' dog, Ranger, who was being watched by a neighbor while the family was out of town, barked at the intruders. The barking prompted one of the teens to grab a bat and strike the 13-pound cockapoo twice, according to court documents. The dog fell to the ground and the boys left the house.
The Kunz family returned from their vacation to find Ranger lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to a vet clinic where doctors discovered he had a fractured skull.
Ranger was eventually able to recover enough to go home. The Kunz family said Ranger is doing well but has lost some of his coordination. The medical bills for Ranger's treatment have exceeded $1,000.
Through continued detective work, Salt Lake County sheriff's investigators were able to track down one of the suspects. They interviewed the teen, who admitted his role and the role of his friend, according to court documents. Detectives recovered the stolen handgun from a bedroom dresser of one of the suspects.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com