Andrea Rosebrock 
UPDATE 1/17/09 – Man Pleads No Contest in Golf Club Killing of Dog
Dog bark, it’s just one of the things they do. Any dog owner knows this. And normal pet owners know how to handle it, we all have our own ways but I doubt any of our ways include the method that Carson Smith chose. On Sunday, Carson Smith, 41, 1416 St. Joachin Court, Bellevue, NE, got pissed off because his little rat terrier, Sam, was barking so he grabbed a golf club and beat the dog in the head.
Family members rushed Sam to the vet but he suffered massive skull and brain injuries from the brutal beating and had to be euthanized.
“The suspect told us he became very irate at the dog because it wouldn’t stop barking and rather than choose alternative methods that most normal dog owners would utilize, he chose to take a golf club and kill the dog,” says Mark Langan, Nebraska Humane Society spokesman.
Langan said, “Smith chose an inappropriate method to stop his dog from barking. NHS can provide alternatives for barking dogs other than killing it with a golf club.”
NHS officers and Bellevue police cited Smith for animal cruelty after he admitted to the beating. If convicted, Smith could face up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. A report of the incident was forwarded to the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to upgrade the charge to a felony punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Neighbors were shocked to hear of the incident.
“Real easy going guy,” said Frank Taylor who lives across the cul-de-sac. “He’d help in the neighborhood. Any time somebody had a problem, especially with automobiles and things like that. He was a good mechanic.”
“According to our animal control officers, the family was very upset, including the suspect who did this,” Langan said. “He realized that he had probably snapped, causing him to smack the dog with a golf club. But that, in our mind, doesn’t excuse his behavior.”
Well, this guy can be upset and sorry now but that’s not going to bring Sam back. I hope there’s no children around in case he ’snaps’ again.
Another low life that needs to be delt with …. love to take his golf culb and let me beat his butt…
@ Kat…I’d like to take a golf club…but the hell with his butt…to his head !!! Poor little dog, there’s no excuse for this kind of thing…there really isn’t. What is wrong with people ???
Sorry alright!!!Pathetic!!Snapped??No excuse!!I’ve often felt like snapping(usually after reading news like this!)…and have a time or two I guess…That’s what punching bags are for…not living creatures..Poor little Sam…the fear and confusion he must have felt…having his beloved human turn on him in anger..I hope he does feel bad..He should!!
@Katrina, @Jen – The hell with a golf club… please let me offer a 12lb maul to do the job, much more effective!! Sometime when I read stuff like this it just really makes me feel evil. But then… see the comment below…
@Kerry – Know what you mean, Kerry. There are times when I just walk around feeling like I could do serious violence… but of course I never do… that’s the difference between civilized human beings and bottom feeders!
This should be a felony! The fact that the guy is sorry now is only because he’s afraid of what his fines & possible jail time will be! What an ass!
@Vicki T – Isn’t that the way it usually is with criminals?? They’re only remorseful when it comes to paying the price!
Deanna
Maybe if the NHS actually would ENFORCE the anti-dog barking law instead of providing lip service to everyone that reports a dog barking….then maybe there would be less dog killings in bellevue. I call NHS to report a dog barking….11:30 at night…they say “has the dog been barking for over half an hour?” I say I’m not going to wait until midnight to call back. Then they say “we have more important calls to take care of as we only have 2 units covering a very large area of the metro” No wonder people beat barking dogs!!!! Its the only way one can get to sleep so we can get up to go to work the next day and pay taxes to the NHS for not doing their job.