Police: Man Admits He Tried Breaking Dog's Neck

Roger Pelletier of Portsmouth, NH, charged with two felonies

A Portsmouth, New Hampshire, man is behind bars for allegedly trying to kill his neighbors dog, because it wouldn't stop barking, according to police.

To Jessie Angelli, her dog Oreo is much more than just a pet.

"I love her, she's my baby," Angelli said.

She admits Oreo makes a lot of noise.

"She's a barker, but still, you can't kill someone's dog because they bark," she said.

However, that's exactly what her neighbor tried to do. Portsmouth Police say on Friday morning, Angelli's next-door neighbor at the Portsmouth Apartments on Rockland Street, Roger Pelletier, broke into her apartment, grabbed her dog and tried to break its neck.

"He said the dog had been barking incessantly and that he took it into his own hands and that he was going to kill the dog," Portsmouth Police Capt. Frank Warchol said.

Angelli said she fought back and finally yanked Oreo away from Pelletier and called 911. When police arrived, they say Pelletier admitted he had had enough of the barking and so he tried to kill his neighbor's dog. Officers arrested him on burglary, assault and animal cruelty charges.

During the investigation, police found a cat inside Pelletier's apartment that needed attention.

"The cat was severely matted and because of that the animals claws were well overgrown," Capt. Warchol said.

The SPCA now has the cat and is investigating the situation.

As for Oreo, Angelli said despite hundreds of dollars worth of tools to get her to quiet down, she continues to bark inside their apartment. Angelli said it may be annoying, but Oreo didn't deserve the abuse.

"If I didn't get her away from him, he was going to kill her," Angelli said.

Pelletier is being held at Rockingham County Jail on $5,000 cash bail. Police say he could face an additional and separate animal cruelty charge for the condition of his cat.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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