ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Crestwood man was recently convicted of mutilating and killing his neighbor’s dog several years ago.

John C. Ross III, 63, was found guilty of animal abuse and weapons charges in a bench trial Friday.

According to charging documents, the dog was stabbed to death on Sept. 7, 2019, in the 9700 block of Greenview Drive.

Investigators say the victim’s dog, Teddy, wandered onto Ross’ property. Ross walked over to Teddy, grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck, and began stabbing him. The owner rushed Teddy to an animal hospital, but the dog had lost too much blood and had to be put down. 

Prosecutors say it was “proved beyond a reasonable doubt” that Ross used a weapon in an “angry or threatening manner” to repeatedly stab his neighbor’s dog.

“People love their dogs. They are members of the family, as a result we have a responsibility of care for our pets. My office will treat these cases seriously, because they are serious. That is why I assigned my chief of staff to handle the case along with another experienced prosecutor from our office,” said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. “I want to thank the court for its careful and thorough analysis and ultimately this guilty conviction.”

Ross is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 10. The Crestwood Police Department led the investigation into the dog’s death.