A 34-year-old man allegedly killed his girlfriend’s dog and fed it to her. Ryan Watenpaugh of Shasta County is now facing stalking and animal cruelty charges. The 34-year-old man was arrested during a traffic stop in Palo Cedro at about 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Watenpaugh’s girlfriend contacted Redding police and told them she was a victim of domestic violence and stalking by her ex-boyfriend.
According to police Sgt. Todd Cogle, she said that she had been physically assaulted numerous times during their several-month relationship.
Watenpaugh’s girlfriend told police he had assaulted her in her Redding home. She managed to get away, but when she returned home, she found that her Pomeranian, “Bear,” was gone.
According to police, Watenpaugh and his girlfriend reportedly reconciled last week, at which point he cooked her a meal containing meat.
On Sunday, she received a text from Watenpaugh asking how her dog tasted.
On Tuesday, he went even further: Watenpaugh allegedly left a bag containing Bear’s paws on the victim’s doorstep at around 1 a.m.
When police searched Watenpaugh’s home, they reportedly found an AK-47 assault rifle and several high-capacity magazines.
Cogle said that when investigators questioned the man about the victim’s missing dog, Watenpaugh denied killing or cooking her dog.
Watenpaugh was booked into the Shasta County Jail on charges of domestic violence, stalking, false imprisonment and animal cruelty. KRCRTV reports that officers will seek additional charges for the weapons violations.
His bail has been set at $250,000.
