In Peoria, a community is in turmoil following the brutal death of a chihuahua named Chiqui, who was seen in a widely circulated video being beaten with a shovel by a man identified as Kenneth McGaughey; animal advocates are rallying for justice as the Maricopa County attorney’s office weighs possible felony animal cruelty charges, as first reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Over the course of a week, outrage has spurred local dog owners and animal rights advocates to converge outside the alleged assailant’s home demanding accountability and the arrest of McGaughey who, during an impromptu confrontation claimed he had merely intended to eject the dog from his property after it had allegedly grabbed his cat, “He had the cat in his mouth. I didn’t wanna see him hold the cat. I just wanna throw them out the gate. That’s all I wanted to do. I didn’t wanna kill him, but (expletive) happens,” McGaughey told FOX 10, even as emotions continue to flare with Chiqui’s owner, Brianna Camacho sending a message directly to McGaughey, “I just want justice and I hope you get what you deserve because what you did wasn’t okay at all,” further complicating this story, the Peoria Police Department confirmed they have recommended felony charges.
Meanwhile, relatives of the dog’s owners are grappling with the violent footage, “I was shocked and immediately felt disgusted and just couldn’t believe someone was capable of doing something so horrific to a small and innocent animal,” Cynthia Romero, a cousin to the family, expressed in disbelief to Arizona’s Family. The video’s impact has not only touched the victim’s family but also resonated deeply within the community, with one supporter at the rally declaring, “We’re just here trying to raise awareness and further investigate this whole thing and get him arrested and convicted for his crime.”…