A Delco man who strangled a rescue dog will face a county judge on aggravated animal cruelty

A Brookhaven man who strangled his daughter’s recently adopted dog in October will face a county judge on charges of aggravated animal cruelty.

David Saxton, 62, admitted to investigators that he killed Denali, a 60-pound coonhound, after the dog lunged at and tried to bite him in his living room. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday packed wall to wall with protesters holdings pictures of Denali, Saxton’s lawyer, Christine Cregar, said that the dog had a history of aggressive behavior with his previous owners.

He had also bitten Saxton’s daughter, Erica, leading the family to seek surrendering the dog back to the Providence Animal Center in Media, according to Cregar.

Magisterial District Judge Georgia Stone thought that prosecutors, led by Assistant District Attorney Sean McNabb, had proven the charges were appropriate, and sent the case to the Court of Common Pleas.

Humane Society Officer Jason Bell testified that Erica Saxton adopted Denali on Aug. 26 from the shelter. Part of the adoption process included Saxton being notified of Denali’s behavioral history, and her signing a liability waiver saying the dog may need professional training, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in David Saxton’s arrest.

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On Oct. 4, Erica Saxton submitted a formal request to surrender Denali, telling the shelter that the dog had bitten her, Bell said. The shelter initially agreed to take the dog back on Oct. 20, but moved that date up to Oct. 10. That change was made, Cregar said, after Erica Saxton’s mother, who was recovering from breast cancer, told workers there that she was afraid to be left alone with the dog.

The day before, Bell performed a welfare check at the Saxton family’s home after shelter workers learned that the Saxtons had made appointments at two veterinarian offices to euthanize Denali, both of which were later canceled, he testified Wednesday. Bell was unable to speak with anyone at the home at that time.

On the day Denali was scheduled to be returned, the shelter received a text saying staff there “should not be expecting Denali to be returned,” according to the affidavit.

Bell said he tried twice more to speak to the Saxtons at their home, but was unsuccessful. On Oct. 15, Bell was notified by Brookhaven police that David Saxton had turned himself in for killing Denali.

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In an interview a few days later, Saxton admitted to Bell that he had killed the dog, saying he was “not proud of what he did,” but couldn’t remember when it occurred, according to Bell. Saxton said he had come home from work and was sitting on his living room couch taking off his work boots when Denali started barking and lunging at him.

Saxton repeatedly pushed the dog away, but Denali returned to nip at his ear. Saxton told Bell he “snapped,” and grabbed the dog’s leash, according to Bell. He strangled the dog, and then beat it in the head with a metal candleholder when he saw it was still breathing. Saxton also said he slit the dog’s throat with a kitchen knife.

After killing Denali, Saxton wrapped the dog in a trash bag and buried it in his backyard. Bell later recovered the dog’s corpse from that makeshift grave.

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Cregar, Saxton’s lawyer, noted that Saxton had been cooperative with investigators from the outset, something Bell agreed with. She also presented evidence that Denali had been adopted in January by a different owner, but was surrendered about a month later after the dog bit that person’s daughter, leaving puncture marks on the girl’s arm.

Cregar also said that her client was not involved with his daughter’s decision to adopt Denali. Erica Saxton lived in an apartment when she brought Denali home, but later moved back in with her parents because her landlord would not allow a dog his size to live in the unit, Cregar said.

Jo-Ann Zoll, the executive director of Providence Animal Center, said in a statement Thursday that she and her staff are “heartbroken and outraged by Denali’s murder,” calling him a beloved dog that was a staff and volunteer favorite.

Saxton remains free after posting $20,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in county court on Jan. 10.