A five-month-old mixed-breed puppy named Jinx cried out and struggled for about 45 seconds before going limp, hung by her own leash and collar around her neck, according to court records. The man responsible, 44-year-old Carrick Green, has now been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony animal cruelty in the case out of Houston.
Deputies say Green hung the undernourished puppy by her leash and collar, leaving her with a shattered femur and internal injuries, according to Click2Houston. Jinx eventually recovered from her injuries after undergoing a partial leg amputation, and she was adopted once she healed. Harris County Constable Precinct 1's Animal Cruelty Unit investigated the case in partnership with the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
A Felon With a Long Record and a Gun in His Backpack
Green was arrested in 2025 on an animal cruelty warrant, and authorities found a handgun in his backpack at the time of his arrest, according to the same report. That discovery led to a second conviction — attempted possession of a firearm by a felon — and Green was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on that charge as well, with the sentence running concurrently to his animal cruelty term, per KHOU 11. Green's prior record barred him from lawfully carrying a weapon in the first place.
Court records reviewed via Justia Law show Green's legal troubles in Harris County stretch back at least to 2015, when he filed an appeal in the Texas First Court of Appeals — years before he racked up nine prior felony convictions, according to authorities. Those earlier convictions include assaulting a public servant, and Green also attacked a detention officer at the Harris County jail, per the Click2Houston report. Separately, Univision reported that when Precinct 1 deputies took Green into custody near Southmore Boulevard and Highway 288, he was found in possession of a cat that was unharmed and taken into custody by the agency's Animal Cruelty Division; that arrest also involved another suspect wanted on narcotics charges.
Constable Calls the Attack ‘Just Vicious’
Constable Alan Rosen did not mince words about what happened to Jinx. “This was just vicious,” Rosen said, according to Click2Houston. He added that pets should be treated with kindness, not brutality, and said the case serves as a reminder for the public to report suspected animal abuse when they see it.
How Texas Law Set the Maximum Sentence
Green's 10-year sentence for animal cruelty represents the statutory maximum for a single count under Texas Penal Code § 42.092, which classifies intentional torture or serious bodily injury to a non-livestock animal as a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Saputo Toufexis. That felony tier was established through a 2017 legislative amendment that strengthened Texas animal cruelty classifications. Separately, Texas criminal procedure allows prosecutors to stack multiple 10-year sentences when separate indictments are secured for multiple animal victims, according to the Starr Law Firm.
Once Green is eventually released, Texas House Bill 598, which took effect in September 2023, will bar him from owning, possessing, or living in a household with a pet for five years, according to Westwood Horizon. An initial violation of that ban carries a Class C misdemeanor penalty. Legal researchers with the Texas A&M Law Review have noted that while Texas Family Code § 54.0407 mandates psychiatric counseling for juvenile animal cruelty offenders, state law does not currently require psychological evaluations or treatment for adult felony offenders — a gap researchers say could otherwise help address recidivism among repeat violent offenders.
The Regional Network Behind Jinx's Rescue
Precinct 1's Animal Cruelty Division operates through a direct contractual agreement with the Houston SPCA to co-investigate abuse cases and present them to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The Houston SPCA itself runs a 14-member full-time animal cruelty investigation unit covering Harris County and nine surrounding counties, making it the largest dedicated animal cruelty rescue team in Texas, with 24/7 emergency response and its own veterinary hospital. That regional reach is backed by the Harris County Animal Cruelty Task Force, formed in 2017 to run the centralized 832-927-PAWS hotline and streamline reporting across more than 50 local law enforcement agencies.
Jinx's case follows other recent animal cruelty investigations across the region, including a Cypress garage rescue that freed 19 animals earlier this month involving the same SPCA and Precinct 1 partnership. Anyone who suspects animal abuse can contact the Houston SPCA at 713-869-7722.
