Man who beat dog with hatchet sentenced to jail
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TACOMA, Wash. -- An Orting man who attacked and nearly killed his neighbor's dog using a hatchet was sentenced Monday to six months in jail.
Ricky Lee Knowles, 55, will also be placed on electronic home monitoring for six months after he serves his jail sentence.
According to police, Knowles went into his neighbor's yard on March 20 and used doggie treats to lure Kona, a golden retriever, into his own yard and then repeatedly hit the dog with a hatchet.
Neighbors heard the dog's yelping, and when officers arrived they found the golden retriever tied to a pole, bleeding from severe wounds to his head and neck, prosecutors said.
"If this had been a human being it would have amounted to torture," prosecutor Dione Hauger said during Monday's sentencing.
The dog had a crushed skull, broken jaw and blood-filled eyes. Despite the severe injuries the dog survived.
Knowles admitted the attack, telling the judge Monday he was sorry for what he'd done.
"I just want to tell Kona and his family, I'm really sorry," Knowles said.
He added he was suffering from stress in his life and just snapped.
"I had no premeditation. I just couldn't take the noise any longer," he said. "He was barking and I just snapped. I can't explain it."
Knowles pleaded guilty in July to first-degree animal cruelty but asked for no jail time. The judge declined and gave him the six month sentence, much to the relief of Kona's owner.
"I wish it could have been more, but to see the guy in handcuffs and taken to jail, that was elating," said Sam Hokanson.
As for Kona, he came through just fine.
"He's got his hair back. He's energetic. It's as if nothing ever happened," Hokanson said. "But we can't hide that."
Shortly after the attack, Kona's family moved out of the neighborhood. No risk for anything else to happen.
In addition to the six month sentence, Knowles was also ordered to pay Kona's $5,000 vet bill.
Ricky Lee Knowles, 55, will also be placed on electronic home monitoring for six months after he serves his jail sentence.
According to police, Knowles went into his neighbor's yard on March 20 and used doggie treats to lure Kona, a golden retriever, into his own yard and then repeatedly hit the dog with a hatchet.
Neighbors heard the dog's yelping, and when officers arrived they found the golden retriever tied to a pole, bleeding from severe wounds to his head and neck, prosecutors said.
"If this had been a human being it would have amounted to torture," prosecutor Dione Hauger said during Monday's sentencing.
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Knowles admitted the attack, telling the judge Monday he was sorry for what he'd done.
"I just want to tell Kona and his family, I'm really sorry," Knowles said.
He added he was suffering from stress in his life and just snapped.
"I had no premeditation. I just couldn't take the noise any longer," he said. "He was barking and I just snapped. I can't explain it."
Knowles pleaded guilty in July to first-degree animal cruelty but asked for no jail time. The judge declined and gave him the six month sentence, much to the relief of Kona's owner.
"I wish it could have been more, but to see the guy in handcuffs and taken to jail, that was elating," said Sam Hokanson.
As for Kona, he came through just fine.
"He's got his hair back. He's energetic. It's as if nothing ever happened," Hokanson said. "But we can't hide that."
Shortly after the attack, Kona's family moved out of the neighborhood. No risk for anything else to happen.
In addition to the six month sentence, Knowles was also ordered to pay Kona's $5,000 vet bill.
Someone needs to tie him to a pole and take a hachet to his head and see how the hell it feels. And than say "oh I am so sorry I didn't mean to take an ax to you but I was so stressed." My ass this dude was stressed he needs to be locked up in a looney bin. What will his excuse be nex time. Our justice system is horrible in this state. Maybe his jail mates will take care of him. One can only hope.
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Yeah you snapped alright. You need help! I hope the rest of your life is a long and lonely one.
Did Ricky graduate from the Michael Vick Academy?
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky.......What are ya thinkin' son?? No excuses, however, has anyone ever had a neighbor dog bark for 7 hours and the owner not control it? Doesn't our military use constant noise as a form of torture on prisoners?
This guy lived in Orting, and was arrested? Lucky. I am surprised he is still alive. He should count his blessings.
There is NO excuse for animal abuse...period...
I'm glad to see from the story updated this morning that the family that owns Kona is no longer in the neighborhood and therefor out of danger, but to me that seems like they are being punished because they felt like they had to move to be safe.
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I think as part of the sentence, a restraining order should have been issued that would have prevented Ricky Lee Knowles from moving back to the neighborhood. I am sure after this horrific event, the people in the neighborhood don't want him around their families and pets. Too bad they can't distribute posters the surrounding neighborhoods when he is released like they can with sex offenders.
No psych evaluation for this guy? He needs to be hauled over to Western State for an indeterminate period of time.Â
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"If this had been a human being it would have amounted to torture," prosecutor Dione Hauger - Nope, sorry Dion, that would amount to assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder - take your pick. Jeez!
That monster should also have to pay for all the costs the family incurred while moving. Can you imagine living next door to someone who tried to kill your beloved dog with a hatchet? I'd move to! How sad that one person caused so much pain and turmoil for a family, to the extent they had to move.
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I'm glad the judge declined his request for no jail time. He deserves a lot more than just 6 months, but at least he IS going to jail. What a crock, "I'm sorry, can I go now?" Good job judge; let him know that he has to face consequences for his terrible actions.
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I wish all the best for Kona and his family.
I had the same thought - Knowing that the guy will be out of jail soon and back living next door would be reason to move. What if he "just snapped" again and their kids happened to be in the yard making noise? Not worth another potential hatchet attack.Â
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First it's animals then it will be people. A serial killer in the making.
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Unfortunately for those of you calling for more than 6 months, when you compare it to others, 6 months is downright harsh. The tuba man killers got a bit more than a year. Gary Ridgeway still sits alive and well in prison. Our justice system is a joke.
 @marvin I think it shows that the justice system is a joke as you said, not that the 6 month sentence is harsh. A person who commits murder should be in jail for a long time, not a little over a year.
What a piece of c**p. In my neighborhood, all the dogs take turns barking at something. Never once have I thought about doing something so evil. I hope that he gets the business from someone every day for his SHORT 6 month stay. Even criminals love dogs...... Â
Lock him up with three angry pit bulls.Â
Lock him up with me, I'll make sure he never does that again. He'd wish to the heavens that he would never have done it to begin with. Sick SOB
Poetic justice would be if he served the sentence in a dog kennel cage. Just sayin'.
I say he gets another 6 months cleaning dog kennels for 8 hours a day and weekends when he gets out of jail. Just not long enough for what he did. Not premeditated my behind! He took the time to get the dog treats and tie the dog up so he could do what he did. Sick.!! Â
I hope the dog heals mentally as well as physically.
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Thanks for the picture and name of the perp with the story, keep up the more complete reporting.
Neanderthal!
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 @Tacobender 49 "... six months in jail." JAIL
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sure it'd be fun but it's just jail
Ummm.... Earplugs? Ever hear of them? I think this guy should have been forced to move so the victims wouldn't feel like they had to. (Not as the sole punishment but in addition.)
Must have had one heck of a bad day at work to do such a thing! Joking. There's no excuse for this even if your neighbor's dog is obnoxious and annoying. Poor dog!Â
"I had no premeditation. I just couldn't take the noise any longer," he said. "He was barking and I just snapped. I can't explain it."Â
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If he didn't premeditate it, why did he have dog treats? It is my understanding that he did not have a dog himself, so the only reason for him to have the treats would have been for this attack.
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You, Ricky Lee Knowles, are a <expletive deleted> lying POS, and you deserve a much worse sentence than you got, you worthless piece of garbage.
This is pathetic. Our judicial system is a joke when it comes to crimes against animals as a whole. And it is because we are cruel. Look at our food chain. We keep pigs (and this is just one example) in a 2 foot by 6 foot cage for 2 1/2 years until they are slaughtered. And it is legal WTF. MONEY-MONEY-MONEY. GO Vegetarian.
 @Bob Bish 2ft x 6ft? i've seen MUCH smaller for the "mother pigs"; they're literally in a cage i'd say 1ft x 3ft (1/4 the size) and they just stand there in that cage MANY years in a row just making baby piglets for the fast nasties or america
 @Bob Bish Comparing a man beating a dog with a hatchet to people eating meat is ridiculous. I eat meat. Don't even put me or nor anyone else that eats meat into the same class as this sadistic POS. Honestly, if you want to be a vegan fine, but why push your ideas onto everyone else?  Just shows how extreme your views are.Â
 @FremontTroll I was just looking at the big picture, and you being so defensive shows that your a that your views are extreme. I have never tried to push my lifestyle on anybody. But the way we treat animals for food is pathetic and you should be ashamed to look the other way.Â
 @alaska_dreamin  @FremontTroll  @Bob Bish That dang movie changed me forever. OMG, I want to "un-watch" it but obviously can't. Now I'm buying so differently, but it still makes my stomach turn.Â
Guy with hatchet needs meds, and jail time, no excuse for losing it like that other than totally nuts or totally devoid of a soul.
 @FremontTroll I don't think it is completely off topic; animal cruelty is animal cruelty, it shouldn't matter if we are talking about a family pet or a cow on a farm.
 @alaska_dreamin  @Bob Bish What we eat and how animals are treated at farms is completely off-topic. It has nothing to do with a man beating a dog with a hatchet. Bob Bish was just trying to push his extreme political/ethical views. That was perfectly clear.Â
 @FremontTroll I think what @Bob Bish is trying to express is not so much that he expects everyone to become vegetarian, but that we should be treating the animals that we are producing for food much better than we are. After seeing Food Inc., I am inclined to agree.
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I am by no means a vegetarian, but since I saw the movie, I have made a point of buying humanly raised meat. I think the point that @Bob Bish was trying to make is that just because we intend to eat the animal does not mean they should be treated poorly while they are alive. I could be wrong, but that was how his comments came across to me.
 @Bob Bish Let me ask you something. Do you drive a car? That's what I thought. Car tires are made of animal-based stearic acid so if you drive at all you are part of the problem. Also, resorting to name calling shows how small-minded you are. You are right. This conversation is over. Go take your meds.Â
 @Bob Bish The big picture is humans have been eating meat since the beginning. It doesn't make me or anyone else any less of a person that we do. Get off your high horse. You are the minority here. Your ideas are wacky.Â
There is NO excuse for hurting an animal like that. It's nearly as bad as hurting a child.Â
Someday this guy is going to make everyone very sorry they let him off with such a light sentence. Â "I just snapped" is starting to become one of those throw away use it for everything excuses like "I felt threatened." Â
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Next time he "just snaps," let's hope there aren't any small children around. Brutalizing a harmless animal is bad enough. I'm glad he has to pay the vet bill, but I fervently wish he were spending at least 15 years in prison.
Jeffrey Dahmer started with animals.....That poor dog.Â
Hope the neighbors have a great neighborhood watch program thats locked and loaded when this wack job gets out...
 @Windowseat There have been several protests at his house and many of his neighbors are pushing him to get out. This is a quiet little neighborhood in a quiet little town. No room for this guy here.
Umm yeah, definetely looks like somebody that would try and ax murder somebody.  Lets lock him up just a bit longer shall we?????  I recommend lots of counseling for him, and lots of public awareness for his neighbors before he is released.Â
Serial killer in training? Â I'm just saying memorize this photo-- especially if you have a dog. Â
What a sicko. I think we need to throw Mr Knowles an old fashioned military blanket party. I wonder if the police searched his house---someone to do this to an animal makes me wonder what other crimes he has committed and never caught. I should Google his address......
No six months is not enough! He is a sick individual. I hope he gets what he gave in jail!
OK 6 months and...now you get tied to a pole and beat with a hatchet!! Justice served!
LOL! 6 months!!! Yeah I am laughing my ass off because that is such a God Damn Joke!!! My God, we really are in a society where the justice system basically says, okay, it's time out for you. Don't ever do it again, okay? From the second I saw the headline, I just wanted to know what the sentence was 'cause I knew I was gonna be disapointed. Sure lived up to that I must say!
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Now let's see if this one gets removed.
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6 months this time, wonder how long it will be next time... there will be a next time I am sure
He kinda looks like Jeffrey Dahmer..... ironic??
That dude is sick!
Looks like a freaking four-eyed Jeffrey Dahmer ! Quick, put that thing DOWN ! ! ! http://cheezburger.com/6286921984
Seriously? I'm sure next we'll hear about this guy murdering the neighbor AND his dog! Since animal abuse is one of the first signs, and supposedly they had "come to an agreement," then out of nowhere he does this and shows absolutely no emotion about it? Looks like a damn psychopath to me!