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Police: “More Than One Juvenile” Arrested In Dog Stabbing In Van Buren

WARNING: The photo, Facebook link and descriptions below may be disturbing.  VAN BUREN (KFSM) — More than one juvenile has been arrested in an ongoing investiga...

WARNING: The photo, Facebook link and descriptions below may be disturbing. 

VAN BUREN (KFSM) — More than one juvenile has been arrested in an ongoing investigation after a dog was stabbed repeatedly in the muzzle through a fence over the weekend.

Sgt. Jonathan Wear with the Van Buren Police Department said the stabbing took place in the 2400 block of Taft Street. He said "more than one juvenile" has been arrested, but the case is still being investigated and he could not release further information.

The owner of the dog, Jessica Wallace, posted about the incident on her Facebook page, as well as posted updates on the status of her dog, Lolo.

Wallace said she let Lolo out to use the bathroom in her backyard, then went out to get her. She said she saw two teenage boys at her fence.

According to Wallace, they had grabbed the dog by the hair on top of her head through the fence and stabbed the dog in the muzzle with a knife.

"If I had not gone outside at the moment I did to let them back in from using the bathroom there is no telling what damage could have been [done]," Wallace said.

dogstabbed

Photos of the damage show a large gash to the front of the dog's muzzle and a smaller one on the side. A picture of the inside of the dog's mouth show where the gash went all the way through the dog's upper lip.

Wallace later updated to say that Lola had been treated at a vet and was doing well, eating and drinking, though eating caused her mouth to bleed.

"She's doing OK and is home healing," Wallace said. "She is traumatized, but I know she will heal."

The juveniles arrested for the stabbing are facing aggravated cruelty to a dog charges. For an adult, the charge would carry a sentence of up to 6 years at the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

"With aggravated cruelty to an animal, if you commit that crime and then commit that crime again within a five year period then it becomes a class C felony," said Crawford Country Prosecuting Attorney Robert Presley.

Class C felonies mean no less than three years in prison and no more than 10.

"A big part of me wants to let people know that there is hope. These boys have been caught. The Van Buren Police Department and Animal Control have gone above and beyond, and they treated this as the crime that it was," Wallace said.

Wallace says she hopes to forgive the boys one day, but she hopes they are held accountable for their actions.

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