ROYALTON – A New York State man has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after bystanders saw him beating his dog.
At approximately 3 p.m. on Sunday in the McCullough’s Quik Stop parking lot, Lee Philips, 46, of Amsterdam, N.Y., beat his white and brown husky, Storm, according an affidavit filed in Windsor Superior Court by Vermont State Trooper Trinity Poole.
“It all happened so fast,” said Mathew Crisp, the cashier working at the time of the incident. “I was surprised I was even witnessing what I saw, especially in a place like this.”
At roughly 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, Crisp noticed a van parked in the lot just beside the front doors and didn’t think much of it, he said in an interview on Wednesday.
Then, through the store window, Crisp said he saw a man swing at the dog about five to seven times with a closed fist as the dog cowered and yelped in the passenger seat, according to the affidavit.
Able to hear the dogs whimpering and whining, several customers told Crisp that someone should call the police, Crisp said.
Busy at the counter, he encouraged the bystanders to do so, or at least to get the license plate number.
“Most people were outraged and kind of offended, but nobody was really doing much to lift their hands to do anything,” Crisp said.
During this time, Philips took his dogs out on a leashed walk but stayed in the parking lot for about 15 to 30 minutes, Crisp said.
Kimberly Bahr, a regular at the gas station, who did not witness the alleged abuse, then went next door to the Royalton State Police Barracks and contacted police, the affidavit says.
Philips said his dog had gone to the bathroom in the vehicle and he was trying to put the leash on to take him outside, the affidavit says.
Security footage appeared to show the dog wanting to go outside, after which it shows Phillips clearly striking the dog with a closed fist in the back multiple times, the affidavit says.
When State Trooper Stacia Geno, who was also on the scene, asked to see the dog, he was reluctant to come out from the back of the van toward his owner, the affidavit says.
After seeing the footage, troopers cited Philips for the crime of aggravated cruelty to animals. In his Monday hearing, Philips pleaded not guilty to the charge, which is a misdemeanor.
If convicted, Philips faces imprisonment for up to two years and/or a fine up to $5,000.
Storm and Philips’ other pet husky, Velo, were taken from him. Philips is not allowed to possess animals as part of his interim conditions, according to the case summary.
Both dogs are currently being cared for by the police and are in significantly better condition, Adam Silverman, state police spokesperson, said after talking with Trooper Poole.