Man charged with beating roommate’s puppy

DeKalb County police have charged a man with beating his roommate’s puppy so badly the dog had to be euthanized.

A police statement said investigators think Lawrence Peterson, 58, beat the puppy with a broken table leg because it would not stop barking.

DeKalb Sheriff's Office

Lawrence Peterson, 58, is accused of beating a puppy with a broken table leg because it would not stop barking.

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Peterson was charged with a felony count of animal cruelty. He remained in the DeKalb jail Monday afternoon, according to online jail records.

The pitbull mixed-breed puppy, estimated to be six to eight weeks old, was euthanized after suffering head trauma Saturday at a home on Canby Lane, off Wesley Chapel Road north of I-20, police said.