Crime & Safety

Man Accused of Killing Chihuahua

Reports show Hershey suffered from head trauma, missing teeth, a broken leg and broken ankle.

Hershey died a cruel death, police say.

The Chocolate Chihuahua was thrown in a subdivision lake after his owner's boyfriend killed the dog and threw him in Feb. 22, police said.

Hershey's crime: He bit the boyfriend.

Find out what's happening in Holly Springs-Hickory Flatwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A 19-year-old Holly Springs man has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

A veterinarian said Hershey suffered from head trauma, missing teeth, a broken leg and broken ankle.

Find out what's happening in Holly Springs-Hickory Flatwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Precious Phillips, 18, of Woodstock, first heard that Hershey was dead from the boyfriend's mother, said Lt. Jay Baker of the .

Phillips said the woman told her Juan Furlan killed Hershey and threw the dog into a lake in the Harmony on the Lakes subdivision in Holly Springs.

"The story he told his family was the dog tried to bite him," said Chief Marshal Chris Collett. "The dog was overprotective of his girlfriend and he did not like that."

Furlan's mother said he confessed to her that he brought the dog to his home to take it for a walk. When he reached down to get the dog, it bit him.

Furlan’s mother reportedly returned the dead dog to Phillips the same day he was killed.

Hershey was taken to the and then to the , Baker said. 

Furlan was initially arrested March 5 and charged with theft by taking and abandonment of a dead animal, but bonded out.

It was a necropsy report from the that landed Furlan's second arrest, Baker said. The report concluded Hershey died of multiple traumas throughout the body.

"I am proud of our officers for handling this case professionally and swiftly,” Collett said. "Animal abuse is a serious issue, and we will continue to work diligently addressing this issue."

Furlan was released from the on an $11,200 bond.

He and Phillips are no longer together.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Holly Springs-Hickory Flat