WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Family dog put down after savage beating

Family dog put down after savage beating

By Marisela Burgos - bio | email
Edited by Mike Dever - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - LMPD officers are investigating a possible case of animal cruelty after a family pet was found severely beaten in its owner's front yard.

LMPD Officer Lisa Nagle says Layla, a 6-year-old Boxer-Labrador mix, had to be put down after the dog's owner found it in front of his home suffering from a brutal beating.

Kenny Marine said his son was the first person to discover Layla in their front yard on the corner of Cliff Avenue and Stanley on Oct. 15.

"When I got home, my dog was around front and my son had wrapped a towel around her and was trying to take care of her," Marine recalled.

Marine immediately took Layla to the veterinarian, where he found out just how savagely the animal had been beaten.

"She had puncture marks, puncture wounds on her legs," Marine said. "Her left femur was crushed completely. Her right leg had been pulled from the socket."

Because Layla's injuries were so severe, the family was forced to euthanize their pet.

"We miss her right now," Marine said.

Marine says Layla has been a member of their family since she was six weeks old, and that she was in the back yard when he last saw her. 

Officer Nagle believes teens pulled the dog over the fence, then beat her.

"It's scary," Nagle said. "Something of this nature that happens with kids at that age, they're going to grow up to into possibly our next murderer. It's not a good sign."

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $2,500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Layla's beating.

Marine said the loss of their pet has been hard on the family, and they want justice to be served.

"I really can't say what I would say to the person that did this to my pet," Marine said. "I hope they get what they deserve because this was our family member."

Now Marine says he is worried about the family's other pets. "This is changing our outlook ... when they're outside, we'll be outside. When we're inside, they'll be inside. We're afraid for anything to happen to our pet now."

Anyone with information is asked to call or text the LMPD anonymous crime tipline at 574-LMPD.

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