Ex-Tenant Kills Landlord's Dog
 

Charges Filed Against Man Suspected Of Stabbing Dog

TOOELE, Utah -- A man has been accused of retaliating against the hotel owner who evicted him by killing his dog with a sword.

Daniel Painter, 30, was charged Tuesday with single counts of aggravated assault and cruelty to animals.

Police said Painter attacked the chow-Labrador mix named Kabu with a sword early Sunday.

Kabu's owner, Garth Jones, runs the Kirk Hotel in Tooele, where Painter had stayed for two months.

Jones says he was awakened early Sunday to the sound of a thud and a yelp.

When he got up to see what happened, he said he found the man he recently evicted repeatedly stabbing his dog.

Jones said the man then threatened him and chased after him, but Jones was able to run into his office and call police.

Painter was evicted after allegedly failed to pay his rent last month and attempted to negotiate a cheaper rate after complaining latex paint had hurt his health.