Police say 50-year-old Edward Semke, of Centereach, was arrested after the 7-month-old dog was found with its neck broken.
After the dog died, Semke dug a hole in his back yard and buried it. A necropsy done on the dog revealed that the broken neck caused the dog to slowly suffocate.
Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, said that Semke made admissions to Suffolk County SPCA detectives that he hit and kicked the dog after it ran out of the back gate of the property. Semke gave permission to investigators to dig up the dog's body, and it was taken to a local veterinarian to have the necropsy performed.
,p> Chief Gross said that "this was a horrible way for the bloodhound puppy to die."Semke is charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty.
