Man caught abusing puppy on camera before selling it for $20 to taco truck employee

HOUSTON – A 3-month-old Labrador puppy is getting a chance to start a new life after enduring physical abuse at the hands of a man who sold it for $20.

The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office responded to a complaint on April 22 that the puppy was being abused in the 4800 block of East Mount Houston Road.

An employee of a cellphone store reported that a man was walking his puppy on a leash and was seen “violently hitting, kicking, and yanking on the puppy’s leash after saying the puppy bit him,” the constable’s office said. The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.

Officials obtained a copy of the footage and later discovered that the puppy was sold down the road to a nearby taco truck employee.

The employee told KPRC 2, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, that she purchased the puppy for $20 after she witnessed the abuse.

Houston SPCA took in the dog for a medical examination. KPRC reports the dog did not have any serious injuries, nor will it require surgery.

The puppy remains in Houston SPCA’s care, and it has been nicknamed Buttercup.

A suspect was identified in the case, and an investigation was opened with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Animal Cruelty Section, to review if any charges would be filed.