Berkeley man charged in felony animal cruelty case against dog
The dog, a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix named Sushi, will be in the hospital for "an undetermined amount of time," according to BPD.
A Berkeley man has been charged with felony animal abuse in connection with severe injuries sustained by a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix named Sushi, according to court papers and police.
The man, 40-year-old Sean Hussey, declined to talk to police after his arrest but he did tell his girlfriend, Sushi's owner, that "he may have kicked" the dog, Berkeley police wrote in charging papers.
On Jan. 27, the young woman had taken Sushi to an emergency veterinary hospital with suspicious injuries that occurred when the dog was alone with Hussey, police said in response to a Berkeley Scanner inquiry.
The vet found Sushi's injuries consistent with significant blunt-force trauma, such as being kicked or punched, and then hitting the wall as a result of that force, according to BPD.
After the exam, veterinarians notified Berkeley Animal Care Services, which alerted the Berkeley Police Department.
"Sushi sustained a traumatic brain injury, skull fracture, a punctured left ear drum, and had a right eye hemorrhage," police wrote in charging papers. "She was bleeding from her left ear, was in shock, and had low blood pressure."
The veterinarian also found bruising on the dog from "suspected past but recent abuse," police wrote.
Sushi will now "require additional medical treatment and will be in the hospital for an undetermined amount of time," BPD said.
Officers arrested Hussey on Jan. 28 at his West Berkeley home, according to charging papers.
He returned home later that day after posting bail and, early the next morning, is alleged to have thrown his girlfriend onto the ground and kicked her during an argument, according to court papers. She was left with visible bruising to the knee.
Sean Hussey. BPD
On Tuesday, the Alameda County district attorney's office charged Hussey with cruelly wounding an animal, which is a felony.
He was also charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in connection with his girlfriend, according to court records.
On Thursday, Hussey entered not-guilty pleas in the case, according to court records online.
He is scheduled to return to court March 14 for a pretrial hearing.
Hussey is no longer in custody and has no prior criminal cases listed in Alameda County Superior Court, according to court records online.
