Michigan Jail Inmate Accused of Striking Therapy Dog, Giving Animal a Concussion

"It broke my heart when I watched this video," says Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton

A Michigan inmate was charged with torturing an animal after a video appeared to show him hit a jail comfort dog.

The video, which was released by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, shows the dog, Josie, approaching the inmate, identified by the sheriff's office Romello Maxwell, 27, who then appears to violently strike the animal. The dog was knocked off her feet and yelped.

The footage stops right as another man appears to confront Maxwell.

In a press conference, Sheriff Christopher Swanson says Maxwell is being charged as a habitual offender and could face up to eight years in prison if convicted. It is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea.

Swanson says therapy dogs are used with guards, inmates and even victims as part of an expansive canine program within the sheriff’s office.

Josie is just over a year old and weighs under 15 pounds, Swanson says. She suffered a concussion and a scraped pupil. The veterinarian bill was thousands of dollars, according to Swanson.

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“It broke my heart when I watched this video,” says Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, who added that Maxwell has been charged as “harshly as possible” under the law.

Maxwell had been in jail after being charged with assault, Swanson says.

Josie is going to continue to serve with the sheriff’s office and is doing “great” according to the sheriff.

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