Man Accused Of Strangling His Own Dog Sent To Jail

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A man accused of strangling his dog had been out on bond since the charges were filed last month, but Thursday, a judge sent him to jail.

A few months ago, 33-year-old Jason French adopted a black Labrador mix named Apollo. But last month, for whatever reason, police say French snapped and strangled the dog.

"He said he did this because the dog wouldn't stop barking," Irwin Police Officer Michael Hooper said in November.

Police say people who work near French's home on First Street in Irwin first noticed something was wrong.

"They said they heard the dog earlier in the day barking and a few times yelping," Hooper said in November. "They did witness French pounding his fist on the ground, possibly hitting the dog."

When police arrived, the 30-pound dog was laying on the ground, dead.

"He decided to strangle the dog with his bare hands until it stopped moving," Hooper said. "It took him about three hours to strangle the dog. He said he was surprised that it took him that long to do so."

When French was first charged, he was released on bond. But Thursday in court, the District Attorney questioned French's mental health and said he was a threat to public safety.

Ultimately, the judge sent French to jail on $50,000 straight bond. The judge ordered French to continue with his mental health treatment and medications and said he has to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

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