A man has been arrested for brutally beating a dog to death with a cane Friday afternoon in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Fifty-eight-year-old Nicola Patalano is accused of striking the animal after police say it started fighting with his own dog. Patalano told police that he hit the dog with the cane when he was unable to separate the animals with his foot.
Police say Patalano, who lives in an apartment complex on Western Hills Lane, was walking his dog when the incident took place. The dog that was killed belonged to another resident of the complex.
The dog was taken to Oaklawn Animal Hospital, where it was pronounced dead.
Cranston Police Animal Control is investigating the death.
Patalano is charged with a felony for malicious killing of an animal. He is due in court Jan. 23.
