Man denies killing neighbor’s dog by kicking it like football

Chad Daniel Crawford, 23, told WSMV-TV on Tuesday that the only time he touched the 17-year-old miniature Yorkshire terrier was when he removed it from underneath a car.

He said the 2-pound dog, named Gizmo, was already dead when he first touched it.

“The owner seems to think I did it,” Crawford said. “I don’t know why.”

Jalani Lewis said he was in his apartment complex last week when he saw one of three men holding his dog like a football, and then saw Crawford kick the animal.

But Crawford told the station, “I had people with me who said I didn’t do it.”

Meanwhile, state veterinarians who examined the dog’s body said Tuesday a severe blow to the brain stem area was the likely cause of death.

“There was nothing that definitively defined the source of the injury,” said Dr. Ron Wilson of the Ellington Agricultural Center. “But certainly there was nothing that disputed the story that was offered … by the owner.”

Gizmo was cremated Monday.

Crawford said he has received death threats as a result of the case.

“They’ve only heard one side of the story,” he said.

Crawford is charged with cruelty to animals and felony vandalism. He’s free on $25,000 bond.

Crawford said he is an animal lover and owns a cat.

“It’s hard to replace an animal. It’s like a family member,” he said.

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Information from: WSMV-TV, http://www.wsmv.com ; and The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com