A Renton man burned a rabbit alive and stabbed a dog more than a dozen times before posting pictures of the torture on social media, records show.
Christopher McCabe, 37, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of first-degree animal cruelty and is being held on $75,000 bail.
Police arrested him last month after his estranged wife called 911 to report seeing disturbing photographs of the family’s pets on McCabe’s Instagram page.
She’d moved out of their home weeks before with their three children after McCabe allegedly began acting strangely. Family members and friends said he could be suffering from mental health problems.
On Oct. 20, McCabe’s wife saw a photo of blood covering the walls and floor of one of their bathrooms and their dog, Lola, inside the tub. She immediately called police.
Officers responded and chased McCabe after he opened the front door and then bolted out the back. He was later arrested in a nearby neighborhood.
The dog was rescued from the bathtub and underwent several surgeries. The family’s rabbit was found dead in the backyard fire pit. Police believe it was burned alive.
None of the cats were harmed.
McCabe showed no remorse for what he’d done and told police “God had given him insight and that dogs contained evil spirits…” according to charging papers.
King County prosecutors contend McCabe used a pitch fork, pocket knife, crow bar and knife lashed to a flag pole to stab Lola.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article183278656.html