An Indiana doctor claimed self-defense as the reason he hit a dog with a hammer before shooting the canine.
Joseph Stubbers III was arrested and charged for a felony charge of cruelty to animals after an investigation found that he had attacked the dog, Cooper, over the weekend.
According to Prosecutor Lynn Deddens, a neighbor called 911 after Stubbers began cleaning the neighbor’s garage floor with bleach after he hit a dog in the head with a hammer.
“The 911 caller was concerned for the welfare of the animal and called for police assistance. Upon officer’s arrival, Dearborn County Sheriff Deputies learned that another neighbor observed Stubbers fire a shot at the dog, Cooper with a handgun,” Deddens said in a statement.
“Sheriff Deputies responded to the Laurel Valley Drive address and observed spots of blood, a hose turned on, bleach sitting on top of a trashcan, a live .40 caliber round sitting in the driveway. Two spent .40 caliber rounds and a bullet that had been fired with hair on it were located pursuant to a search warrant that was executed at the residence.”
Deputies followed a blood trail leading to the front of the house and found a large dog on the front porch. The dog was licking its front leg. The dog had a mutilated right eye and fresh blood coming from it.
Deputies tracked down Stubbers, who said the dog attacked him and that he was forced to kill the animal.
“When the Deputy told Stubbers that the dog was still alive, Stubbers then stated that he went over to his dog, grabbed his collar and that the dog ‘latched’ on his arm. Deputies did not observe any marks on Stubbers’ arm. Stubbers went on to state that he took a hammer to threaten the dog and then hit the dog in the head with the hammer,” Deddens stated.
Stubbers was arrested and charged while the dog was taken to Dearborn County Animal Control for treatment by veterinarians.
This is Cooper. The five-year-old English Mastiff is recovering after prosecutor says his owner beat him with a hammer and shot him. @Local12 pic.twitter.com/wM7MCtw32M
— Brad Underwood (@BUnderwoodWKRC) July 30, 2019
Witness Was a Boy
Deddens told Local 12 that the witness was a boy, the son of Stubber’s neighbor.
“Her minor son was crying and told his mom that he saw Stubbers hitting Cooper the dog with a hammer so much it was causing the dog to actually vomit,” Deddens said.
Another neighbor said he saw the gunshot.
“I jumped up to go look and I saw, heard, the second shot and then witnessed him point the firearm towards Cooper,” the neighbor said, declining to be identified by name.
Neighbors described the dog as gentle and said they’ve never seen him act aggressively.
“Really good dog, Fed Ex, UPS and the big companies love him when they come to make deliveries. Just a great dog,” one said.
Patient shocked by accusations that Fairfield doctor hit dog with hammer, shot it https://t.co/GLFQCqLjks @journalnews pic.twitter.com/7j2dLy7ILn
— Michael D Pitman (@MDPitmanJournal) July 31, 2019
Patient Reacts
Stubbers owns and operates Fairfield Primary Care, a doctor’s office, according to Local 12.
Sharon Franklin, a former local resident, said that she has been seeing Stubber for nearly 10 years.
“I can’t say a negative word about him,” she told the Journal-News. “I can’t fathom that he did this.”
Ohio Medical Board spokeswoman Tess Pollock said state law prevented her from commenting directly on Stubber’s situation but said the board could take action against a licensee “from anything from a warning letter to probation to a permanent radication of their license.”
