2 men plead not guilty to attacking dog with machetes

Two men pleaded not guilty Monday to slashing a dog with machetes earlier this month and leaving it for dead.

Myron L. Pattillo, 46, and Aaron W. Carney, 29, entered their pleas in a courtroom crowded with animal-rights supporters before Judge David W. Moranda in Merced Superior Court.

Both men are charged with animal cruelty and robbery. Merced police said Pattillo and Carney tied a 1-year-old Siberian husky to a fire hydrant on May 1 at Austin Avenue and Conestoga Drive and hacked the animal with machetes. Authorities were forced to euthanize the dog.

Pattillo’s wife, Shon Oliver, was also there to support her husband. Oliver, outside the courtroom Monday, said her husband regrets “what he did,” but said the situation could have been avoided if the dog’s owner had taken complaints about the dog seriously.

“He (Pattillo) knows what he did was wrong. He’s an animal lover himself,” Oliver said. “We felt threatened by the dog before. I had to run into my house before because of it.”

About a dozen animal-rights supporters turned up at the hearing, each wearing an orange ribbon. At least three members of the Fresno-Central Valley chapter of the Husky Huddle and Malamute Mingle group attended the hearing. Carmen Mendoza, Ivette Lee and Christopher Kearney came from Fresno to speak out against animal abuse.

“This wasn’t just cruelty and abuse. This was a violent, brutal, vengeful act,” Lee said. “This type of violence should be a warning flag to the community.”

The judge also on Monday allowed Pattillo to undergo eye surgery in Modesto, but refused to release him. The judge said jail staff would take Pattillo to the appointment and return him to the jail afterward.

Pattillo’s health has been an issue since his arrest May 1. He has said he suffers from diabetes and has claimed jail staff has not provided adequate medical attention.

The judge said a jail report indicated Pattillo’s diabetes is being treated at the jail and noted Pattillo had not been taking care of his medical condition properly prior to his arrest, which Pattillo refuted.

“No, they do not have it under control,” Pattillo told the judge.

Oliver said she remains concerned about her husband’s health.

The judge also denied a request from Carney’s attorney to lower bail for his client. Attorney Mark Johnson cited Carney’s ties to the community and lack of any criminal history in Merced County.

Pattillo returns to court Tuesday for a bail review hearing.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 18.

Both Pattillo and Carney remain in custody at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on $170,000 bail each.

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 10:33 AM with the headline "2 men plead not guilty to attacking dog with machetes."