Skip to content

Condition: Post with Page_List

Listen
Search
Please enter at least 3 characters.

Latest Stories

Man accused of abusing dog until it couldn't walk

Zachary Hixson
Zachary Hixson
Westmoreland County District Attorney

A Westmoreland County man is facing several charges of animal cruelty, accused of abusing a dog so badly, it couldn't walk.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office says 30-year-old Zachary Hixson is charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and a count of neglect.


The dog's owner called State Police to report her 10-year-old dog, Snickers, was severely injured.

When troopers arrived, they saw the dog on lying on a cushion and unable to walk. The owner told troopers that Snicker's health had been failing since Hixson "moved into the South Huntingdon Township residence."

The woman showed troopers video of Hixson allegedly "punching the dog in the head, chocking it, shaking it, beating it with a water jug, holding a lit cigarette to the dog's eye, and holding the dog by its tail and then dropping it."

Police say Hixson was "combative" after he was arrested and spit at troopers.

He was taken to jail on $50,000 bail.