Granite City man charged with animal abuse for spraying toxic chemicals on dog
A Granite City man has been accused of spraying a toxic chemical on a 10-year-old dog named Charlie.
Rodney W. Johnson, 45, was charged with one count of animal torture and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals on Tuesday, charging documents from Madison County Court state.
According to the documents, Johnson sprayed “a corrosive liquid substance” onto the skin of Charlie, a Maltese mix, causing burns and loss of skin over a large portion of the dog’s body.
On Feb. 6, the dog was dropped off in critical condition to the Madison Police Department, a news release from Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons’ office stated. The department contacted Pound Pets Inc., an animal rescue in Granite City, to get the dog emergency medical treatment for the chemical burns.
Charlie was taken to Veterinary Specialty Services in Manchester, Missouri, for immediate medical treatment, the release stated. Charlie survived and is healing in the care of Pound Pets Inc., which updates its Facebook page with news of his progress.
The release stated Johnson was not the dog’s owner.
Both charges against Johnson are felonies. The animal torture charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, while the aggravated cruelty to animals charge carries a maximum of 3 years.
Associate Judge Janet Heflin set Johnson’s bail at $40,000.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 4:48 PM.
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