By of the

A Milwaukee man is accused of stabbing an unwanted cocker spaniel to death after the dog repeatedly returned to its owners' home, once after having already been stabbed and left for dead, according to a criminal complaint.

Zachary George Senner, 38, is charged with felony mistreatment of an animal/use of a dangerous weapon in the stabbing and bludgeoning of the dog Dec. 27 in the 2700 block of S. 10th St., according to a criminal complaint.

Senner was in the Milwaukee County Jail on Thursday with bail set at $1,000, according to state court records.

According to the complaint:

Senner told police that he tried to find a new home for the dog, which belonged to his brother and sister-in-law, after the couple asked him to "get rid of the dog," named Brandy.

When he could not find someone willing to take the animal Senner tried leaving Brandy at a location away from the couple's residence, but the dog found its way back home.

Senner then "worked up the courage to get rid of the dog in a way that he thought was best," before taking Brandy outside of the home, pinning her down, slashing her throat with a butcher knife and using the handle of the knife to crush the dog's windpipe, according to the complaint.

Believing the dog was dead Senner took the animal to a dead end down the block and discarded it in a wooded area. However the dog returned to its owners' residence bleeding from its wounds, according to the complaint.

Senner and the couple then waited inside the home, hoping the dog would bleed out and die. When it did not Senner pinned the dog down again and repeatedly stabbed the animal in the chest and abdomen until it stopped breathing, according to the complaint.

He then placed the dog in a garbage bag and dumped it in the same wooded area as he had before, according to the complaint.

If convicted Senner could be sentenced to up to 7 1/2-and-a-half years in prison, according to the complaint.