EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) – A man is facing felony animal abuse charges after he was caught on camera grabbing a puppy around its neck and throwing it 30 feet into the air.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan Adams sits in jail as Chrystal Bolling and Jeremiah Cook wait to see if their 6-month-old puppy will survive.
“She makes me so happy,” Bolling said. “I want her to come home.”
Little Foot, a 3-pound long-haired miniature Chihuahua, has permanent brain damage.
“They told me a neighbor had called in saying they knew who did it,” Bolling said.
The caller told the 911 dispatcher, “I heard some yelping, and then I saw this little puppy flying through the air, like 30 feet in the air, and then it came down.”
Edmond police said Adams, who was visiting one of Bolling’s roommates, was caught on a neighbor’s camera with a tight grip around Little Foot’s neck, throwing the pup into the air.
Adams is accused of going out 10 minutes later and picking up the dog, then running back inside the residence. He claimed he saw a cat attack Little Foot and then offered to rush her to the vet himself.
“I actually thanked him,” Bolling said. “I was like, ‘You saved the day. You found her! You found her!’ I even said that to him.”
Cook, Bolling’s boyfriend, said he was suspicious. He said he didn’t see any bite marks on Little Foot, and Adams had asked him if their cameras were working.
The couple’s cameras weren’t working, but their neighbor’s cameras were.
Edmond police arrived at the Animal Hospital after calls from witnesses.
“The vet just told us it’s head trauma, and there’s no way it was an animal attack,” an officer said.
“I know, but I found her,” Adams responded.
“We have more than one witness calling us and reporting they saw a white male with your clothing throw this dog in the air and let it hit the ground,” the officer said. “So if you want to start being truthful with us that would be great because we are running out of patience.”
Adams was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
“He’s kind of narcissistic,” Bolling said. “But he did it to play hero.”
It’s unclear when or if Little Foot will be released from Animal Welfare.
