Man Admits Cutting Dogs' Tails Off; Says He Needed To Be Entertained
Dog Tails Found In Freezer
POSTED: 6:45 p.m. EDT May 29, 2003
UPDATED: 7:06 a.m. EDT May 30, 2003
A 36-year-old Central Florida man admitted Thursday that he chopped the tails off five of his landlord's six dogs and then stored their tails in a freezer because he needed to be entertained, according to Local 6 News.
Nelson Rodriguez was arrested after sheriff's deputies found his landlord's missing Akita-mixed dogs mutilated inside the Rodriguez's Pine Castle home.
Rodriguez told Local 6 News Thursday that he cut the dog's tails off because he wanted some entertainment.
"I did it because I need to be entertained," Rodriguez told Local 6 News speaking through a translator. "I have to be entertained. I had to do something."

After Rodriguez cut the tails off of the three puppies and two adult dogs, he put some of the dogs and their tails in his freezer and refrigerator, Local 6 News reported.
The translator, who was speaking for Rodriguez, said, "He said if he kept them (tails) outside they would continue bleeding. He put them in the freezer; this way, they would stop bleeding."
Local 6 News reporter Gerald Reznick asked Rodriguez, "Did you feel that you were hurting the dogs?"
"No," Rodriguez answered.
Rodriguez was charged with felony abuse in connection with the discovery. A judge set his bond Thursday at $1,000, Local 6 News reported.
The injured dogs are being cared for at the Pine Castle Animal Clinic. They are receiving stitches and should recover from their injuries.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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