Man hangs puppy from tree ‘out of boredom,' authorities say

Officials say he’s charged with Cruelty to Non-livestock Animals, which is a state jail felony

Claudio Gomez (Credit: Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office) (Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office)

HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas – A Texas man is now behind bars after officials say he killed a puppy that wasn’t his “out of boredom.”

According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, Claudio Gomez, 21, was arrested Wednesday after a concerned citizen reported seeing a video on Facebook of a man torturing a dog.

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Upon further investigation, officials reviewed the video, claiming it showed a man hanging a small puppy by its neck from a tree, resulting in its death.

The man in the video was later identified as Gomez.

Media Release-Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 21-year-old, Claudio...

Posted by Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office on Friday, February 14, 2020

Deputies were able to find the address of where the video was recorded and met with Gomez, who admitted to hanging the dog out of boredom, authorities say.

Gomez was arrested and taken to the county jail. He’s charged with Cruelty to Non-livestock Animals, which is a state jail felony.

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His bond is set at $10,000.

The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 956-383-8114.


About the Author:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.