A man who admitted biting his dog on the face to discipline the pup has been charged with animal cruelty, according to court documents obtained by the Daily News.
Jilian Teixeria, 24, who lives in the Bronx, was arrested Saturday in front of 150 E. 86th St. on Manhattan’s Upper East Side around 7:15 p.m. after a witness alleged they saw him sinking his teeth into the female brown pitbull and grabbing its ears so hard the dog was bleeding and yelping in pain, police said.
When officers responding to a 911 call confronted Teixeria, he reportedly admitted to chomping on his pet, stating, “That’s what I do. I bite my dog,” according to police.
Teixeria told officers he bites his dog to discipline her, asking: “What would you prefer I do? Hit her?” Teixeria said, according to police. Teixeria also told cops his pet was bleeding because it had eczema, police said.
“The dog got off the leash and ran down that way,” a witness told The News, pointing east on 86th St. “He caught up with it and just started beating it and beating it. It was crazy,” said the witness, who works on the block.
The witness and other onlookers immediately called 911.
“He was like a regular guy but definitely off. Way off,” the witness said.
Teixeria was arrested without incident.
On Monday, Teixeria was charged with one count of torturing and injuring an animal, according to court documents.
Despite only being charged with a misdemeanor, prosecutors requested Teixeria be held on bail, noting numerous failures to appear in court on previous cases across the city, including an open case for shoplifting and assault.
According to court documents, Teixeria allegedly threw an ice cream container at a supermarket manager who accused him of stealing, hitting him in his right eye, in April 2023.
Teixeria’s next court appearance is Aug. 30.
The dog was taken to an animal hospital for treatment, according to police.
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