A Canton man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after police say he returned with a knife and looked for his girlfriend's dog, then stabbed her in the face after the animal charged at him while trying to protect its owner during a domestic argument. Lamont Bell, 23, appeared in court Friday following the incident, which happened Wednesday before his arrest.
According to Fox 28, a separate report of a person with a knife prompted police to respond to a home in Canton. While officers were responding, a 911 caller reported that her boyfriend had stabbed her dog. The woman told officers that she and Bell had been arguing inside the home when the dog, named Pretty Girl, became involved in the confrontation.
Per the report, Bell threatened to stab Pretty Girl if the dog bit him, prompting the animal to retreat underneath a crib. Bell then returned with a knife and searched for the dog, and when Pretty Girl charged at him again to defend her owner, he stabbed her in the face, causing a visible injury.
Suspect Fled, Then Was Tracked Down
Bell fled the scene in his girlfriend's car, the same account notes. While police investigated, the woman reportedly received text messages from Bell along with a location ping, and officers met her at that location so she could retrieve her vehicle. Officers subsequently found and arrested Bell, who they say had a box-cutter knife they believed was used in the stabbing. Investigators also reviewed cell phone video showing Bell pursuing the dog, according to the same report. Police did not share Pretty Girl's condition.
What Goddard's Law Means for the Charge
Bell was charged with animal cruelty, a fifth-degree felony in Ohio. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 959.131, known as Goddard's Law, knowingly causing serious physical harm to a companion animal is classified as a fifth-degree felony on a first offense, according to the Ohio State Bar Association. A conviction on that charge carries a statutory prison range of 6 to 12 months and maximum fines of up to $2,500 under Ohio Revised Code Sections 2929.14 and 2929.18, per Ohio Laws.
The law's reach was reinforced in October 2024, when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously in State v. Kyles that the state's felony companion animal cruelty statute protects all dogs and cats regardless of where they are located or owned, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. Bell is expected back in court Wednesday.
Animal Abuse as a Warning Sign in Domestic Disputes
Cases like this one reflect a pattern researchers and advocates have documented for years: pet harm often surfaces during domestic conflict as a method of control. Data published by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows that 71% of pet owners seeking shelter from domestic abuse reported that their intimate partner had threatened, injured, or killed family pets. Separately, research by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found that people who commit animal abuse are five times more likely to commit violent acts against humans, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
That connection is significant enough that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has tracked animal cruelty, including gross neglect, torture, and intentional abuse, as a Group A felony-level crime alongside arson, assault, and homicide in its National Incident-Based Reporting System since 2016, per the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.
In Stark County, reports of animal cruelty, neglect, and welfare checks are investigated by the Stark County Humane Society, while stray and aggressive dog complaints go to the Stark County Sheriff's Dog Warden Division. Established in 1974 and headquartered in Louisville, Ohio, the humane society conducts countywide animal cruelty investigations and shelters more than 3,400 animals annually. Residents in Stark County experiencing domestic violence can also access emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis intervention, and legal advocacy through the Domestic Violence Project, Inc., according to Peace for Pets.
