Andrea Rosebrock 
Patrick Bruce, 41, of Albany, GA is under arrest and has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty after his roommate came home and found him standing under the hanged body of his tiny miniature Schnauzer puppy, Xena. Bruce’s roommate, Michael Fromme, just got the 8-week-old puppy two weeks ago in part as therapy for Bruce who he says has serious mental problems and does not want sent to jail for this horrific crime but place in mental care.
Fromme who has been friends and roommates with Bruce for two years has been trying to get help for Bruce for most of the entire time as Bruce’s metal situation continued to deteriorate. He got the puppy to help Bruce.
“I was hoping it would give him something to care for. To help get his routine going, and help him get on a path to recovery,” Fromme said.
He doesn’t know why Bruce hanged the puppy with cable TV wire from the loft of the apartment because he claims his roommate loved the puppy. Last week when Fromme returned to the apartment and saw the horrific sight, he took the puppy to the police and asked again for help.
Police did arrest Bruce but not without having to taser the 6′2″, 220-pound man when he started fighting with them. Bruce is being held in Dougherty County Jail without bond and could face a five year prison sentence if convicted.
I have to admit of having some mixed feeling on this one. Oh, there’s no doubt this guy needs help, he has a history of mental problems but mental health facilities seem to just process and put put them back out on the streets again. There’s no real follow-up because there are so many people and if the patient stops taking their meds, as in the case of Patrick Bruce, things can go downhill fast and dangerously. This time is was a tiny innocent puppy that lost its life, what about next time? Is it worth taking a chance to have him back on the streets? Patrick Bruce needs to be away from society, he needs to get some serious longterm help. He needs to be locked up where society can be safe from him, there’s no doubt about that!
And one more thing, Fromme, Bruce’s roommate, is much more forgiving than I could ever be, I have to admit. Is someone hurt one of my babies, regardless of the reason, I think the police would be scooping them up and taking them to the hospital first, if they were lucky.
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The last thing this man should have done was to give a living being to someone as “therapy” when he knew the man had a serious mental illness. It would be one thing if he was going to be there every minute of the day while the man was with the puppy, but even then it’s just insanity all on it’s own to knowingly endanger the life of the puppy. Granted, animals are great as therapy, but for something this serious, the man needs professional help and exposure to any animals by way of trained therapy dogs in an institutional setting. I’m horrified that poor baby had to suffer like that.
I also agree with you D. I couldn’t be that forgiving. If he thought the man needed help, then he should have spent his time and money on finding a good psychiatrist. I’m sure that purebred puppy wasn’t free. You’re also right about the “revolving door” of mental health “care”. I do medical transcription for our city’s largest hospital, and every day it’s the same thing – they come in, stay at most for 3 or 4 days, then back out on the streets to “follow up”, but there is no guarantee the patient will get the followup. Everyone loses, and in this case the loss was far too precious.
Bonnie, I couldn’t agree with you more! Yes, dogs make wonderful therapy but under well supervised conditions. I know the roommate tried and did what he did with the best of intentions in mind, but like you said, the loss was far too precious!
D.
WELL I HAVE TO SAY BEING THE MOTHER OF AN AUSTIC CHILD YES DOGS DO MAKE WONDERFUL THERPY BUT ONLY UNDER SUPERVISION. I KNOW THIS GUY WAS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING GOOD BUY UNFORTUNALLY IT BACK FIRED BIG TIME. THIS MAN REALLY NEEDS TO BE PUT IN AN INSTUAUION FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE AS IT IS VERY OBVIOUS HE IS A GREAT DANGER TO SOCIETY. SOME PEOPLE JUST ARE LIKE THIS & NEED 24/7 MONTERING. I ON THE OTHER HAND COULD BE FORGIVING AS I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE A CHILD WITH MENTAL DISABLITIES & I WORK WITH HIM EVERYDAY & HE KNOWS TO RESPECT & LOVE ANIMALS & NEVER TO HURT THEM. THOUGH I LOVE ANIMALS MY SON WILL ALWAYS COME FIRST OF COURSE.
This poor little baby. He probably whined a little and annoyed this sicko. He needs to be put away somewhere to get help and not let out, perhaps he’ll never get out. If he could turn that easily, then what would he do to a human? A child perhaps. I have two little ones that are small like this baby was and God help the person that even attempts to hurt them. Xena, you are with God now and he will take care of you and you will have lots of playmates that don’t care if you bark or whine. RIP Xena.
For the record, I did first consult with his psychiatrist who supported my idea. Bruce’s history at no point ever included violence. Even in his most down and introverted days, he would show signs of happiness and comfort when a dog would come near him. Every time we were near dogs, they would come to him and he would pet them and hold them. Over the past years Bruce has had multiple schnauzers, one of which still lives with his father (we were unable to bring her with us when we first moved to Georgia.)
I have been trying constantly to find the help for him he needs so desperately. Every time he would be taken to a mental health facility, I would attempt to offer the doctor’s insight to show he needed help. I have his journals which give insight into the world he lives in, but the doctors refused to ever look at them. Bruce has the ability to fake sanity for short periods of time, but cannot keep it going for long. Since they have never kept him for longer than 24 hours, the charade worked. If he would just be willing to tell the doctors what he has told me, they could work on helping him understand what and why this happens. He told me he wants the voices to stop, and all the people to leave – but when asked by a doctor, he refuses to speak.
As much as I still cannot put into words what I felt when I saw Xena, and removed her from the noose (I could not allow her to remain in the same building as him) I hope the realization of what he did will get him to ask for help.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and explain the situation more fully. You have my sincerest condolences on the loss of your puppy, I know you must be heartbroken. I do understand that you did what you did with the best of intentions.
Hopefully now he will get the help he needs and it may be even more help than you thought considering what he did. Maybe now they will see what they refused to see before but one way or another, it is obvious that he has the potential for violence and this may force them to do something finally!
Deanna
RIP Little Baby Xena
Do unto others as they do unto you….. show me a nice tree to hang they sob
This is yet another horrible case of animal cruelty no matter how you look at it. Although Fromme believed he was doing his roommate a favor by getting him a puppy to care for, Bruce should never have been left alone with Xena given his mental instability. Mental patients can snap and do things they don’t understand. The whole medical professional industry for mental illnesses needs to be examined as to why they are letting these patients out before they are cured. It is a well known fact that abusers start with animals and then move on to children, elderly people, or anyone else that bothers them. I admire Fromme for wanting to help his friend, but please leave him to those who know how to care for this type of illness. RIP little puppy – you did not deserve this!
Once again a poor innocent animal pays with his life for the stupid mistakes a human makes. I only have sympathy for Xena.
Hmm… strange way to show LOVE! His room mate should have known better than to have bought this obviously very disturbed man a puppy. Although I’m the first to admit the healing powers of being a pet owner, in this case it went all terribly wrong and a little pup had to pay the ultimate price, with her life.
WAIT JUST 1 BLOODY SEC FOLKS. GO BACK & READ WHAT XENA’S DADDY WROTE. HE HAS TRIED TO GET HELP FOR THIS MAN BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TOO. FOLKS I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERANCE THAT THIS MAN IS TELLING THE TRUTH AS I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY SON LAST YEAR. “SEE WE SWITCHED HIS MEDICATION & HE BECAME VERY VERY PSYCOTIC WE TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL & WAS INGNORED THE WHO;E TIME WE WAS THERE WE THEN TOOK HIM TO DRS. OFFICE (HIS DR WASN’T IN THIS 1 DAY) WAS BASICALLY WAS TOLD NO HOSPITAL WOULD TAKE HIM BECAUSE HE WAS AUSTIC. WE EVEN LOOKED INTO SUEING THE HOSPITALS.” I KNOW WHAT THIS MAN IS GOING THROUGH. SO PLEASE DON’T BE SO BLOODY QUICK TO JUDGE WHEN YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS. AS I CAN SPEAK BECAUSE I HAVE EXPERANCED THE SAME PROBLEMS.
DEANNA SORRY FOR BEING SO HARSH BUT IT REALLY IRKS ME WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HANGING THIS MAN WHEN THEY HAVE NEVER DELT WITH THE SYSTEM AS PEOPLE LIKE THIS MAN & WE HAVE.
i don’t mean 2 b cruel, Janet, but u always seem 2 take any kind of mental illness story 2 personally. i know that u’ve taught u’r son not 2 harm animals n treat them with kindness but NOT EVERY mental illness case is like this. this “person” should NEVER have been given this wee puppy, let alone b left ALONE with her.
the way u talk about u’r son i’d just as soon give him the puppy as this killer. u’re an angel, Janet, n i keep u in my prayers all the time. hugs for u n that wee boy of u’rs……
YES DRU I KINDA DO TAKE EVERY MENTAL ILLNESS STORY A LITTLE PERSONAL. BUT NOT FOR THR REASON YOU MAY THINK. SEE SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING TO HANG THIS MAN BUT IN TRUTH HE HEARS VOICES & IT’S POSSABLE THEY TOLD HIM WHAT TO DO & HE DID. NOW DON’T GET ME WRONG I IN NO WAY CONDONE WHAT HAPPENED BUT HE COULDN’T HELP IT. I DID SAY THAT THE DADDY OF THIS FUR BABY KNEW THIS MAN WAS MENTALLY ILL YET HE CHOSE TO LEAVE THE PUPPY WITH HIM SO I WOULD HOLD HIM MORE ACCOUNTABLE THEN THE MAN WHO KILLED THE DOG. I WOULD NEVER EVER LEAVE MY SON ALONE WITH ANY ANIMAL SEE MY SON ALSO HAS PSYCH EFFICTIVE DISORDER/BI-POLOR DISORDER & YES HE CAN GET A LITTLE VIOLENT AT TIMES BUT I’M ALWAYS VERY CAREFUL TO WATCH HIM AROUND THE DOGS HE IS ON MEDICATION & YES HE DOES TAKE IT EVERYDAY AS WE MAKE VERY SURE OF THAT. ANYWAY BACK TO THE STORY I DID SAY THE PUPPY SHOULD NEVER EVER BEEN LEFT ALONE WITH THIS MAN AS I DON’T BELIEVE THIS MAN SHOULD NEVER EVER HAVE BEEN LEFT UNSURPERVISED PERIOD. BUT TO HANG HIM BECAUSE HE IS MENTALLY ILL IS JUST PLANE WRONG FOLKS, HE NEEDS TO BE INTANULIZED PERMENTALLY. I WAS ALSO READING WHAT THIS MAN SAID ABOUT THE DRS AT THE MENTAL HEATH PLACES NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THE RECORDS HE BOUGHT IN TO THEM, SO I ASK THIS WHO IS AT FAULT ABOUT THIS?