Massachusetts man buried dog alive because it didn't get along with kitten: Report

(FOX NEWS) -- A Massachusetts man was reportedly arrested on Sunday after he allegedly buried an 18-year-old dog alive because it didn't get along with his cat.

Richard Piquard, 24, of Whitinsville, buried "Chico," a Shih Tzu dog, behind his home while he was still alive, Northbridge Police Chief Walter Warchol told the Telegram & Gazette.

"Even in my 41 years here, I've never seen anything like it," Warchol said. "We've seen other forms of animal cruelty. Burying something alive is a little beyond the reach."

Piquard reportedly had the dog for 18 months after his former girlfriend could no longer keep him in her apartment.

Kaylee Belanger, the woman who found Chico buried alive, posted her account of the incident on Facebook. Belanger says that Piquard texted her around 11 a.m. on Sunday that the dog "passed away last night." Belanger said that just a day prior, Piquard was showing off his new kitten to her.

Belanger said she found Chico buried alive in dirt and underneath a rock.

"He yelped in pain, dirt in every part of him," Belanger wrote. "He felt flat like a pancake from the rock weighing him down the hole."

Police told the newspaper that the dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital, where he was euthanized.

Piquard was reportedly charged with one count of animal cruelty and was released on $1,000 bail.

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Anyone who witnesses acts of animal cruelty in Pennsylvania is encouraged to call the PSPCA's Cruelty Hotline at 866-601-7722. Animal cruelty can also be reported by filling out the PSPCA's online form here.

Those interested in donating to the PSPCA can do so here.