Man breaks puppy's front legs with a sledgehammer 'to stop it fighting with another dog'



Lyman Kenneth Morkunas refused to take animal to the vet in Arizona



Cruel: Lyman Kenneth Morkunas reportedly smashed his puppy's front legs with a sledgehammer in Arizona

A dog owner was arrested after he broke his puppy's front two legs with a sledgehammer.



Lyman Kenneth Morkunas was arrested on suspicion of felony animal abuse last Friday.

Friends of the man brought the dog to a veterinarian when he refused to help the animal after the sustained beating.



Morkunas had reportedly bragged about using a 16-pound hammer to break up a fight between the puppy and an older dog in Mesa, Arizona.



The dog's two front legs were severely broken and had multiple puncture wounds, Brandon Jones, spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said.

It was believed one of the dog's legs would have to be amputated due to infection because Morkunas had not taken the puppy to be treated in enough time.



An animal rescue charity PAWS was caring for the dog because the owner had no money to pay for his pet's hospital care.



Morkunas was arrested following a traffic stop in Mesa, 20 miles east of Phoenix.



He was booked into Fourth Avenue jailed but released shortly afterwards. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.



Battered: The pit bull puppy has repeatedly hit in the front legs with a sledgehammer by his owner to break up a fight