‘Animal Torture’ Case Leads to Charges Against Hibbing Man

HIBBING, Minn. – Authorities say they arrested a Hibbing man “for (the) charge of animal torture” after multiple people came forward as witnesses to the alleged abuse of the man’s young dog.

Hibbing Police arrested 35-year-old Trevor Michael Ross on Friday for one felony count of animal cruelty amounting to torture and one misdemeanor count for deprivation of food or shelter.

A report was made to police on Apr. 1 that Ross was abusing a recently purchased “great dane/mastiff puppy.” The reporting party allegedly witnessed Ross throw the dog off his back porch, causing the dog to yelp in pain. To “quiet the dog,” Ross “would take a cushion and wrap the dog in it to muffle the noise,” the witness said.

When speaking with officers, the individual “indicated his belief that she (the dog) was going to die from her injuries.”

Police responded to Ross’s residence later that evening after the reporting party said people were on their way to take the dog.

At 11:10 p.m., officers knocked on Ross’s door, but no one answered. According to the criminal complaint, two women arrived around this time in a vehicle. One of the women said she intended on taking the dog, because they heard Ross broke its leg. While speaking with officers, one of them claimed her son had witnessed Ross abuse the dog.

The next day on Apr. 2, officers met with the woman’s son to take his statement.

While at Ross’s home about a month ago, he saw the dog urinate on a bed. Ross then allegedly “threw the dog across the floor.” Around 20 minutes later, the dog urinated in the kitchen; which is when Ross “held the dog down to the floor and started to strangle her,” according to the witness. He said the dog appeared “wobbly looking,” after Ross “stopped strangling the dog.”

The woman’s son said he visited the residence on another occasion, about a week before giving his statement, and “observed (that) the dog was barely able to walk and was shaking.”

Hibbing Police along with Ross’s probation officer visited his residence later in the day on Apr. 2. When officers requested to see the dog, Ross led them to the kitchen. The criminal complaint described the “small dog to be very skinny, her ribs and spine were both showing through the skin.” Officers attempted to call the dog over but it did not move.

“The dog appeared to want to come to the officer but was unable to move,” according to the criminal complaint.

Officers asked why the dog didn’t come when called, Ross said “her legs have been messed up since she was little.” Ross then said “the dog took a dive off of the concrete block.” Ross later claimed it was caused by his friend.

When asked if the dog could walk Ross said she could, but when the dog attempted to, she “bore little to no weight on her hind legs.”

Officers confronted Ross with the reports of animal abuse, but he did not directly address them. The dog was transported by police to the Mesaba Animal Hospital, according to the complaint.

The treating veterinarian “was appalled by the dog’s condition.” An examination determined the dog was malnourished, had a fracture in its hind leg, a contusion on its head, and “intervertebral disc disease.” The complaint said the extent of the dog’s injuries required further testing.

An X-ray done on the dog later found an additional unhealed fracture in its leg that would require surgery, according to the veterinarian.

Ross was taken into custody on Friday, Apr. 4, and as of publishing, does not have bail.