SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield man has been charged with animal abuse after allegedly killing a dog using a garden hoe.
Online court documents show Andrew Langley has been charged with one count of animal abuse for the alleged incident.
According to a probable cause statement, animal control officers with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department responded to a residence in the 1400 block of Summit Avenue in March 2024. A witness reported finding a charred animal leg in a burn pile in the backyard shortly after Langley had been evicted that morning.
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Documents say animal control was familiar with Langley and the residence, as animal control had picked up one of Langley’s dogs on four separate occasions between September and December of 2023.
When officers made contact with Langley in the backyard of the home, he admitted there was a dead animal, and led them to the burn pile. Documents say when officers asked Langley about the dog, he initially said he’d “put the dog down.” After some additional questions, Langley said he was not allowed to own a firearm, so he had used a shovel to “put the dog down.”