Tempe man accused of beating puppy with metal rod

TEMPE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - A horrific case of animal abuse in Tempe has led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man.

The man, identified by Tempe Police as Shundong Hu, is accused of badly beating a Golden Retriever puppy with a metal rod.

The puppy, however, is expected to survive.

On Thursday evening, two cats were found inside Hu's home, and one of them was reportedly almost missing its eyes. Some of Hu's neighbors were nearly brought to tears when they saw pictures of the cats. Some have reportedly heard animal cries for months. They now have the answer.

"We've just heard, almost every night or at least a few nights a week, just a dog whimpering, crying," said a resident.

"Just screamed. It was really bad," said another resident. "It was horrible."

"It literally sounds like that dog is getting abused, and getting kicked," said another resident.

One resident said sound reverberates in his apartment, so he couldn't pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

One resident, however, told police Wednesday night she saw Hu beating a puppy repeatedly with a metal rod, as it was trapped in what was described as a metal enclosure.

Tempe Police released photo of the dog. It reportedly suffered from a broken skull, multiple abrasions, and a bleeding nose and head among other injuries.

Residents said they are heartbroken over what had happened.