INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was found guilty Thursday of torturing his dog, Maggie, in 2023.
Robert Cole, 24, was caught on camera savagely beating the dog on June 18, 2023.
In a court trial, a judge found Cole guilty Aug. 1 of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 8:30 a.m.
“Animal abuse cases affect our entire community, and the abuse that Maggie suffered from the hands of the defendant was particularly egregious," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. "We are not only proud to get justice for Maggie but to report that she is doing well and living a happy and healthy life with her new owners."
Indy Humane tells 13News Maggie was "adopted to a loving home with a dog that looks just like her; they are best friends!" The agency said Maggie has healed and her new owners are helping her put the abuse behind her.
Complaints were first filed against Cole on June 21, 2023, after a neighbor reported seeing him "beat his dog in the face like it was a man" and broke the dog's legs, according to court records. Cole was reportedly seen picking the dog up in the air by her throat, then slamming her down.
Police took Maggie from Cole's home and she was taken to the Indianapolis Humane Society, where she made a full recovery.
Police also obtained video from a neighbor that allegedly showed Cole holding the dog by her neck with his left hand and punching her 11 times with a closed fist, according to court records. He was then reportedly seen picking her up and slamming her onto the floor on her back legs.
Maggie was then seen crawling away with her rear legs extended as if she was injured, cowering under a chair. Cole was seen stomping on her rear legs with his right leg. The dog was seen crying out as if in pain during the beating and the stomping.
Cole was then seen pulling the dog from underneath the chair and dropping her onto the ground. He was seen pulling the dog from beneath the chair and dropping her on the ground.
“She’s an angel, and to think that someone could have hurt her is heartbreaking for us,” said Donna Casamento, CEO of IndyHumane.
The neighbor who gave police the video said it happened around 9:30 a.m. on June 18, and that he also had cellphone footage of the incident. The neighbor told police they later saw Cole carrying the dog out of the home and returning with bandages on its rear legs.
RELATED: Pets of the Week: 7-27-2024
The video was reportedly reviewed by an animal control official, who also saw Cole punching the dog several times, and then picking her off the ground and slamming her to the floor. Cole was then seen using his right leg to stomp on the rear leg of the dog.
“Actually seeing the video is hard. This is one of the worst I’ve seen that’s caught on film, and it’s so bad, we’re not going to share it. The public doesn’t need to see it," IMPD Lt. Shane Foley said. "The X-ray and the story, I think, tell the story enough. And you’ve seen her, she’s adorable! How anyone could do that to such an adorable animal? I just, I don’t understand.”
Shortly after 11 a.m. on June 24, 2023, authorities went to Cole's address in the 200 block of Lynn Street on the near west side of Indianapolis and reportedly made contact with Cole's father, who told them his son's dog got hit by a car, but the veterinary bill was $5,000, so they surrendered the dog to Indianapolis Animal Care Services.
IMPD officers reportedly soon identified Cole and learned he had a pending battery arrest.
“If Robert is watching, I’ve got a message, and that message is people probably care more about Maggie than they do about you right now," Foley said. "I would urge you to turn yourself in because people will be calling. They’re going to tell us where you’re at, and you’re going to be in custody in short order."
When IMPD officers went to the Lynn address on July 6, 2023 to follow up, they reportedly spoke with Cole's father who initially told them he did not know where his son's dog was, or to where she had been surrendered. Cole's father also told police Maggie had been hit by a car, then later admitted Maggie was still inside the home.
IMPD said 23-year-old Robert Cole turned himself in to police July 17, 2023.