Man accused of choking his dog, punching it in ribs

BROOKLINE, N.H. – A man in New Hampshire choked and punched his dog as he tried to get the animal into his car, witnesses told police.

Joseph Driscoll, 59, was arrested on a misdemeanor cruelty to animals charge Monday. It wasn't immediately known if the Brookline resident has a lawyer, and a phone number for him wasn't in service.

A witness told authorities Driscoll was trying to get his dog into his car last month at a store parking lot and was twisting its chain collar, causing the dog to yelp. Another witness said Driscoll punched the dog in the ribs two or three times, police said.

When Driscoll was arrested, the dog, believed to be a husky mix, was found chained outside wearing a prong collar, with temperatures in the 20s. Driscoll is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 23.

The 1-year-old dog, named Slater, was brought to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford and was "doing fine," Maureen Prendergast, the organization's director of outreach and investigations, said Tuesday. She declined to comment further, citing the ongoing police investigation.