Louisville police continue search for man accused of killing puppy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Metro Police Department is searching for a man accused of violently swinging and throwing a puppy who later died.

Demetrius Hebert is accused of swinging the puppy around by his neck and throwing him across the room and hitting a glass table. The puppy later died while waiting for medical treatment. Hebert is now wanted for felony dog torture.

Almost a year ago Ethan's Law went into effect in Kentucky. The law ensures animal abusers are held accountable for their first offense, making a crime a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

John Smith manages the GRRAND kennel in Louisville. It's a shelter that rescues dogs and gets them ready for adoption. He sees firsthand when these dogs come from abusive situations.

"It takes a long time for the rescues to rehabilitate these dogs and get them ready to be able to get them into a home," Smith said.

Smith says it was a huge step forward in animal protection when the law went into effect.

"We used to take dogs in from abusive situations with no consequences and that doesn't happen anymore," says Smith.

Smith says while this is a huge step forward, he hopes the changes to legislation don't stop here.

"I personally would like to see stronger penalties associated with those charges, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," says Smith.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund ranked Kentucky as the fifth-worst state for animal protection laws in 2024.

If anyone knows where Hebert is, you are asked to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or submit an anonymous tip on the Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

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