Man Punches Dog, Facebook Video Leads To Arrest: Cartersville PD

CARTERSVILLE, GA — A Facebook video of a Bartow County man punching a dog led to the man’s arrest on an animal cruelty charge Wednesday, according to a police report.

When Cartersville police first encountered John Dennis Atkinson Jr., 22, at about 2:30 p.m. — neighbors had flagged them down moments before — they found Atkinson holding a dog by its collar.

Atkinson told police his roommate's dog had broken its chain and run off, and he was retrieving the dog. After a quick chat and a check on the dog to ensure it wasn’t injured, a Cartersville officer gave Atkinson a written warning related to animal cruelty, according to the incident report, then left.

Four hours later, according to the same report, an officer was notified of a Facebook video “which clearly showed Mr. Atkinson violently holding down the dog and strike it repeatedly with a closed fist.” Soon thereafter, Cartersville police returned to Atkinson’s home and arrested him.

Atkinson was booked into the Bartow County Jail Wednesday evening on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. He bonded out early the next morning.