Andrea Rosebrock 
An Omaha couple, Michael and Catalina Snyder, are mourning the loss of one of their beloved dogs, a little 4-year-old rat terrier named Pompou (or Pompoo) after a neightbor, 57-year-old Kevin Cleavenger grabbed the dog and slammed it into the ground at least four times. The dog suffered such severe injuries he had to be euthanized.
Michael Snyder, 66, was walking one of the dogs, another little rat terrier and Pompou was tied up outside the apartment when Cleavenger started banging on the Snyder’s apartment door complaining that the little dog was barking. Catalina, 77, afraid of Cleavenger, didn’t answer the door and will probably never forget what she saw next.
“He grabbed that leash about that far from his head and just took him and slammed him on the ground as hard as he could do it four times,” her husband said.
Catalina Snyder says, “I didn’t say anything because I was scared and then after that the dog is laying there and I thought he was dead.”
“It was the way he died that makes me feel the worst,” he said. “I just couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t get the experience out of my head. He’s gone.”
It is reported that Cleavenger has complained in the past about other dogs in the apartment barking when he was trying to sleep.
He’s been cited with a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge and is convicted faces a $500 fine and 6 months jail time. The Nebraska Humane Society plans to ask prosecutors to charge Cleavenger with a felony.
“This was a very vicious attack, there was absolutely no reason for it whatsoever,” Mark Langan at the Nebraska Humane Society said.
Langan says, “In order to prove felony animal cruelty, you have to show one of four things: repeated beatings, mutilation, torture or abandonment resulting in serious injury, illness or death to the animal.”
The fact that the dog was repeatedly thrown to the ground may be the key to having the charge upgraded to a felony but that will be up to the DA.
The Douglas County Attorney’s Office will be looking over this case Thursday to decide whether it’s misdemeanor or a felony. A felony charge is a maximum of five years and/or a $10,000 fine.
As far as I am concerned any abuse that results in the death or maiming of an animal should automatically be classed as a felony. Sure, an incessantly barking dog can be annoying but I get the impression that this guy was not someone who let anything pass him by. Some people are chronic complainers and some people just don’t like dogs or animals. Regardless, there is no reason, no excuse for anyone to inflict such cruelty on an innocent and defenseless animal! How would he feel is someone were annoyed with him and decided to pick him up and slam him into the concrete a few times?
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Cleavenger says he’s been annoyed by the dog’s barking and had even called the police but emphatically denies having beaten the dog, calling Snyder a liar.
“The old man’s lying, because I didn’t slam it towards the ground like he said I did and he’s making me out to be a crazy man,” said Cleavenger.
Somehow I’m not convinced….
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THIS GUT NEDS TO HAVE THE SAME THING DONE TO HIM THAT HE DID TO THAT POOR DOG. ALL I’LL SAY IS THIS IF THAT WAS ME THAT POS SOB B****** WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT TO MY DOG AS I’D HAVE GRABED A BASEBALL BAT & BEAT THE S*** OUT OF HIM. HE NEEDS TO BE CHARGED WITH A FELONY & HAVE TO PAY THE FINE TOO.
God,this is horrible.Just because he barked? My dogs and my neighbors dogs bark all the time,it don’t bother me.This man needs to be chaged with a felony.peiod.
This POS stated he is veteran. Too bad he made it back from whereever he was hiding when the fighting was going on. He is a danger to people as well as defenseless animals. He needs to be disposed of.
This jerk is a crazed man. It tells you something when an older lady will not open the door for a neighbor. I feel so bad for the elderly couple. Those dogs were probably the best company for the both of them.
Now as for this low life, too coincidental for him to be pounding on their door, and the next minute one of their beloved dogs is on the ground, barely alive. This is a felony – he did it more than one time in just a few minutes. Lock his sorry a** up – for a good long time. Maybe his cellmate will be an animal lover, and when word gets out as to what he had done, I do not think his life will be a very nice one behind bars. I personally hope he suffers, and suffers good, because what would make someone do such a thing to a little pup.
I wonder if this moron is on drugs. Sounds to me like he took it out on the elderly couple and their little one because he was coming down off a high, with no more drugs around. Speculation, but worth a thought.
OMG!!!! all because this wee dog was barking! this dude needs 2 b put away…..in a cell with “Bubba”. i’m so effing angry that this is all i’m gonna say.
This SOB needs to be charged with MURDER because he murdered poor Pompou. If he wants to take his aggression let’s either put him on that island or put him in the ring to fight for his life. Let’s see what a big man he is then. Dispose of him so he can’t hurt another poor little innocent baby. If he didn’t like the barking why didn’t he move to an apartment without animals? NO excuse for what he did.
How could he???? That little dog didn’t have a chance. Damn! I hope they throw the book at him! What a effen jack a**! He murdered that little pup as sure as I am sitting here alive and breathing. He deserves to be slammed a few times to see how it feels, by some huge brut! Rest now little one. You are safe in God’s arms and with many other happy pups on the Rainbow Bridge.
I wish the police would investigate and charge cronic complainers because I believe much of this kind of thing could be prevented. This neighbor is apparently a bully to his neighbors and his behavior should have been nipped in the bud well before this lil’ guy had to suffer such a brutal death! Frankly, I am surprised that it was a rattie, because they seldom are barkers. Mine bark only when someone is at the door. I know other owners of ratties who agree that these dogs are not prone to be barky, but “talk” more. This guy obviously had a short fuse any anything could have set it off. He needs to be charged with a felony and placed on probation for the rest of his life and ordered to move out this and any appartments or neighborhoods which have pets. No one should ever have to witness this ash-hoe brutally beating their much loved pets or suffer the intimidation and fear he instilled in the neighbors. There is no excuse for this behavior!
The fact that he is a veteran does not give him the right to abuse other people or animals. If he served with honor he should be living the rest of his life with honor. Since he isn’t he needs to be put away in a place where there is no honor.
I had a neighbor that raised rat terriers and they barked almost all the time. I was on the far end of 10 acres so they were not that loud. If I had lived very close, it would have been a problem. I’ve lived in cities before and been kept awake many hours by barking dogs. My work was on government space and military electronics so when I performed poorly at work because of lack of sleep it just meant tax payers paid more than they would have if neighbors would put their dogs inside at night. I love animals. My favorite dog is a Chocolate Lab and I like any smart dog that does not bark for no reason. I think dogs bark mostly when they are afraid, left alone too much, or being protective of their owners. They might also bark if not fed on time. Animal abuse is grim and depressing. I think the way our commercial animal farms are operated with over-crowding of animal in very grim conditions is horrible.
About this man killing his neighbor’s dog, I don’t think any of us know all the details. I won’t judge either side since I did not live on either side. I know that a person can only take so much barking before they explode. Whether they beat their spouse or just have high blood pressure and a stroke and die – something usually happens. If he is a wealthy man then he should have moved to the country. If not, then the owner’s of the barking rat terrier should have had their dog de-barked or trained him with a shock collar. I would not have allowed my dog to bark like that. I have more respect for other people. Dogs are not higher than people. If barking dogs interfere with the peace of any person, the owner of the dog should stop the barking by what ever means he or she can. This problem seems to be with the dog’s owner for allowing their dog to bother their neighbor. This barking could have been like torture to those having to hear it. What if it gave this veteran a similar gut feeling as being in action it war? Looking at it another way, people bothered by a barking dog could have their hearing ability removed so they heard nothing. I think the problem must be solved one way or another.
I think we should love animals and not torture them. I also think we should love and treat our neighbors with respect and not allow our animals to torture them.
I’m very sorry this poor little dog had to die a terrible death, and I’m also very sorry the neighbor was tortured by a barking dog. Just a bad situation. Continuing to torture this veteran will not bring the little dog back. I don’t see the point. I’m sorry any of this happened.
This worthless piece of humanity needs to serve time for what he did to this little dog. But why did they have him tied outside unattended? This poor little guy died a horrible death because his humans were lax in leaving him alone outside the door at the mercy of this crazy man, and the neighbor needs to be put away for hurting and killing this little guy. His next victim of choice will most probably be a child that is bothering him or another adult. Show him the same mercy he showed the little dog: none!
I understand why this guy snapped. I have 2 beagles behind me who bark and howl the entire time they are outside and a little white thing that barks constantly. It becomes very annoying to hear them on a nice quiet morning or when we are trying to have a bar-b-q. I agree he was extreme but some thing needs to be done about the irritating noise dogs can sometimes make. I he\ave a dog and you would never realize it because she doesn’t bark at just nothing!
I am so upset right now i can not believe this loser , he is lucky i dont live in Omaha , or else i would of really hurt him i dont care if i go to jail .
I also found a dog a little pom pom maybe about 6 months old or something , he is so afraid of people , i believe he was beaten by his owner, this is horrible nuff said .