Stanwood man arrested in puppy deaths

STANWOOD — Police on Wednesday arrested a Stanwood man after they found him with blood on his hands and three dead puppies in his living room.

Thomas Young, 56, was reportedly drunk and aggressive when he was questioned by Stanwood police officers at his home, according to a police affidavit filed Thursday in Everett District Court.

His roommate told police Young had complained about being on the hook for veterinarian bills for the animals.

Young told police he didn’t know what happened to the mixed-breed puppies.

He was booked into jail for investigation of first-degree animal cruelty and fourth-degree domestic assault against his roommate. A judge Thursday ordered him held on $25,000 bail.

The affidavit doesn’t detail how one puppy was injured or how the other three were killed.

Stanwood officers were summoned to Young’s home just after 11:15 p.m. for a report of an assault. Once at the home, they spoke with Young’s roommate, a 47-year-old man, who had blood on the shoulder of his T-shirt.

The man told officers that Young came home drunk.

The man told investigators that while he was in bed, he and his girlfriend heard the puppies “making all kinds of noises, nothing like they had heard before,” the deputy wrote. The woman said she thought she heard Young saying something about killing the puppies.

Young began beating on the bedroom door. The man said Young then came into the bedroom, punched him in chest and then tried to drag him out of bed.

He called 911.

When police arrived, they asked the man about the blood on his shirt. He told police that there were puppies in the living room and alleged Young had killed some of them. Deputies also noticed blood in the hallway and in the living room.

The pair told investigators that Young was upset about the puppies and complained about having to pay for veterinarian costs.

Deputies approached Young in the living room. His hands were covered in blood and there also was blood on his shirt, the affidavit said. He was handcuffed.

Police asked Young what had happened. He said that he was angry about what happened to his puppies, according to the affidavit. Young appeared to be drunk and was becoming more upset as the questioning continued, court records said. He offered no explanation for what happened to the dogs.

Police are investigating how the puppies were killed.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.

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