Man 'stabs puppy 11 TIMES and leaves her to die in dumpster'... but dog miraculously survives

A Texas man confessed to stabbing his 14-week-old puppy Taz and leaving her to die in a dumpster.

Fortunately for the puppy, a nearby animal lover and neighbour called the police after she saw Larry Dollins Jr., 42, 'maliciously' stabbing Taz.

Now, the dog is recovering from surgery and is at a shelter waiting to be adopted by a loving family.

Brave: Taz, a 14-week old female puppy, recovers at Key City Veterinary Clinic after surviving the weekend stabbing

Busted: Police officers arrest Larry Dobbins Jr., third from left, at Dobbins' home in Abilene, Texas

Dollins’ neighbour Cheryl Ascol told KTXS that she saw him stabbing his puppy on Sunday.

‘I screamed at him and told him to please stop stabbing the dog,’ Ms Ascol told the Reporter News. ‘But he kept on walking toward me with the dog.’

That’s when she ran inside and called the Abilene police.

When the authorities arrived, they found the dog in a city trash bin with multiple stab wounds covering her body - along her back, haunches, and legs.



They carried the bleeding dog over to Ms Ascol’s porch and asked her to fetch a towel in which to wrap her.

Taz was taken to the Key City Veterinary Clinic, where she underwent surgery for her wounds.



Road to recovery: Taz was treated at a local veterinary hospital and is waiting to be adopted by a new family

Dr Natalie Matthews, who is treating the puppy, told the Reporter News that the dog has a ‘really loving attitude.

‘She’s an innocent animal and has a very positive outlook on life despite what she’s been through. She’s a really remarkable animal.’

'She’s an innocent animal and has a very positive outlook on life despite what she’s been through. She’s a really remarkable animal.' -Dr Natalie Matthews



The veterinary clinic has received multiple calls from inquisitive people wanting to know Taz’s progress, Ms Matthews told the Reporter News.



She is expected to survive, but continues to be monitored by experts.

Dollins was arrested Monday after confessing his crime to police.



According to KTXS-TV, officers had to forcibly enter Dollins' house when they tried to serve the warrant for animal cruelty.

After officers entered his home, he was arrested.

According to Abilene Police Detective Ernest Moscarelli, Dollins fully admitted to stabbing the puppy and then throwing it in the garbage.

Weekend violence: Taz was stabbed at her owner Larry Dollins' Abilene, Texas home

The crime is a state felony, and is punishable by 180 days up to two years in prison, as well as a $10,000 fine.



He is being held at the Taylor County Jail on $25,000 bail and faces charges of animal cruelty.

Local psychotherapist Dr Marc Orner said that Dollins may have taken his aggression out on a helpless animal because it made him feel more powerful.

‘That’s not anger, that’s rage,’ Dr Orner told KTXS, saying that there could be an external factor making Dollins so violent.

Another neighbour and friend told the station that he noticed a recent change in Dollins’ behaviour.

‘I actually saw a change in this guy,’ Robert Thompson said, adding that he thinks a drug addiction might be to blame for his changes.

Dr Matthews says she expects Taz to find a new home by Wednesday.

Dollins told the Reporter News in a prison interview that he loves his pet. ‘I love my dog,’ he told the paper. ‘I wasn’t trying to be cruel. I was trying to take care of it.’

He said that Taz suffers from intestinal worms as well as heartworms, and he could not afford the veterinary bills.

‘I only make $280 every two weeks,’ he said, adding that he wasn’t aware dogs can be given to animal shelters if the owner can no longer take care of it.

He said that because he’s on probation for a 2007 drug conviction, he is not allowed to own or carry a gun. ‘It was not an easy decision,’ Dollins said. ‘It took me two hours to work up the nerve to go out there and do it.’

