Man Who Allegedly Killed Puppy Is Arrested

A Las Cruces man has been arrested for animal cruelty after he allegedly killed his 4-month-old puppy by stepping on its throat for several minutes.

Richard Nelson McCord, 41, of 819 Parkview Dr., was arrested Sunday and charged with one count of extreme animal cruelty, a fourth-degree felony.

Las Cruces Police detectives said that on Saturday, Jan. 22, a witness saw McCord chasing the 4-month-old female border collie-mix. The witness told detectives that McCord grabbed the puppy by its neck, placed it against a fence and repeatedly kicked the dog until it quit yelping.

Detectives said that McCord killed the puppy later that day by stepping on its neck for five minutes or longer. McCord then threw the lifeless dog in a dumpster at his apartment complex.

A Las Cruces animal control officer was called on Sunday to investigate a claim of animal abuse. McCord told the officer that the dog’s injuries were a result of being hit by a car.

McCord was arrested Sunday and incarcerated at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.