Man charged with stabbing family dog, Manatee deputies say

A 22-year-old man has been charged with torturing an animal after he stabbed the family dog with a hunting knife, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Nathaniel Anderson was struggling after moving away and his family brought him back home to Manatee County last week to help him get back on his feet. On Thursday, “for unknown reasons,” Anderson grabbed a “large hunting knife,” that was being used for display in the family home, according to the arrest report.

After getting the knife, deputies say Anderson took the 5-year-old family dog into the family’s guest room and stabbed the dog in the chest.

Family members heard the dog crying and intervened, according to the report.

Deputies arrived and Anderson would only say, “I stabbed the dog. I’m not a dog,” according to the report.

Anderson was booked into the Manatee County jail on charges of torturing an animal and resisting arrest. He remains in custody on bonds totaling $5,500.

According to deputies, the dog was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic and his fate was unknown.