MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- A man faces charges of felony animal cruelty after he threw a 3-month-old puppy down a flight of stairs, according to Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.

Stephen Adam Collins II, 19, caused the puppy to break several bones, including her leg and pelvis, investigators said. She is expected to live, but it’s too early to tell whether her leg will have to be amputated, Butler County Dog Warden Supervisor Kurt Murbs said.

Three-month-old Vally had to have emergency surgery to repair what investigators called "near-fatal injuries."

Middletown police arrested Collins Thursday evening.

“Harming a defenseless animal is heinous, ridiculous and disturbing,” Jones said in a statement.

The puppy had been so severely abused that Collins’ mother called rescuers at Joseph's Legacy to remove her from the home.

The puppy had to have emergency surgery at Monroe Family Pet Hospital. She now has several pins and staples in her leg and pelvis, and she is in a foster home until she makes a full recovery.