Police say Tacoma man kicked his pet Chihuahua, killing it

TACOMA, Wash. – A 32-year-old Tacoma man is facing animal cruelty charges after police say he kicked his small dog so hard that it died.

Nicholas Tresness was booked Friday night into the Pierce County Jail on investigation of first-degree animal cruelty and other charges.

Tacoma police spokeswoman Loretta Cool says he got into an argument with his girlfriend on the phone and was so angry that he kicked over a highchair. He then stormed into his room. Cool says that when his Chihuahua, Duke, followed him, Tresness kicked the pet, killing it.

KOMO reports (http://goo.gl/lFfHpn ) that when police arrived at the house, Tresness told the officers he didn't mean to kill the dog.

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Information from: KOMO-TV, http://www.komotv.com/