Jurors saw a photo of Jack, the 5-year-old mixed breed.
Alexander Good, right, and his attorney Kevin Ross.DALLAS -
A 27-year-old man is on trial for a felony animal cruelty charge stemming from the death of his girlfriend's dog.
Testimony began Tuesday in the case against Alexander Matthew Good.
Dallas County prosecutors say Good intentionally kicked or hit the Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix dog in August 2011.
According to an arrest warrant, girlfriend Erica Craycraft came home to find Good in her apartment and her 5-year-old dog named Jack whimpering under the bed.
She took the animal to a vet's office, where it died of severe blunt trauma injuries including broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
Craycraft was reportedly frightened for her own safety and flew to New York the next day.
"Animal cruelty is often the step before aggressive human violence," said Johnnie England of the Texas Humane Alliance. "Animals are defenseless, so those who think they can take out their rage on a defenseless animal can do that to a weaker human being as well."
The Texas Humane Alliance monitors animal cruelty in the courts and helped push through stricter penalties in Texas.
Kevin Ross, Good's attorney, would not say whether his client would take the stand in the trial.
If found guilty, Good could be sentenced to two years in prison.
