Puppy’s beating spurs outrage, demands for severe sanctions

RIVERSIDE —  After weeks of protest and outrage, dozens of demonstrators Thursday celebrated the arrest of Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson, who stands accused of savagely beating a neighbor’s puppy last month with a rock.

Carrying signs saying “Jail the Puppy Killer!,” about 50 people marched in front of the Riverside County district attorney’s office chanting, “Thank you, D.A.; now make Johnson pay.”

Johnson, 54, was arrested Tuesday, charged with one count of felony animal cruelty and the use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a felony. He was released on $10,000 bail and faces up to four years in jail if convicted in the beating of 6-month-old Karley, a shepherd mix.

Johnson, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, reportedly told investigators that he acted in self-defense.

For the last few weeks, protesters have rallied in front of the district attorney’s office. Some believe Johnson’s status as a fire chief won him special treatment. They are demanding that he be fired.

“There were witnesses to this crime, and sheriff’s deputies could have arrested him that day,” said Jeffrey Toole, who co-owned Karley with his wife, Shelley. “Did he get special treatment? Yes, he did. If I had done that to his dog, I guarantee you I’d be in jail that day.”

Assistant Dist. Atty. Chuck Hughes said the arrest took time because more investigation was needed.

“He was not afforded any special treatment and his employment played no role in when we filed charges,” Hughes said. “When a case gets submitted we review it. . . . If more evidence is needed, we send it back.”

The incident has generated national attention and served as a rallying cry for those seeking harsher penalties against animal abusers. Hundreds of people from around the nation have called the Tooles offering support.

The family has set up a website (justice4karley.com), and a group of retired Los Angeles County firefighters has established a fund to help pay legal costs as the family pursues a civil case against Johnson.

“We had no idea we would get this kind of support,” Toole said. “We would like to see the laws change. I’d equate losing Karley with losing a child, and I want to see Johnson get the maximum punishment.”

This isn’t the family’s first run-in with Johnson.

Shelley Toole called deputies in August 2000, saying Johnson shot her dog Kahlua above the eye with a pellet gun. The deputy, she said, told her that it would be her word against his and advised her not to pursue the case.

Bryan Monell, a senior investigator with Last Chance for Animals, a Los Angeles group specializing in animal cruelty cases, has interviewed residents in Johnson’s neighborhood who say their dogs have gone missing or have been shot with pellet or BB guns.

Chris DeRose, founder of Last Chance For Animals, said that in his 30 years of investigating animal cruelty cases, this was one of the worst beatings he’d seen.

“When you see something like this you got to take a stand,” he said. “To me, it’s not just an animal issue, it’s a people issue.”

The incident happened Nov. 3 in an unincorporated area near Riverside.

Travis Staggs, a friend of the Toole family, said he was returning with Karley from a walk when Johnson approached and asked if he could take the dog the rest of the way home.

“He walked maybe 100 feet with the dog and that’s when it happened,” said Shelley Toole, who had discussed the incident with Staggs but had not seen it herself.

“Travis saw Karley on her back and Glynn punching her with his closed fist at least 10 times to her head. He then literally pulled her jaws apart until they broke.”

Staggs told police that Johnson then hit Karley more than 10 times in the head with a rock.

Staggs called 911. Not long after, Johnson’s wife called 911 reporting that her husband had been attacked by a dog.

Karley’s nasal cavity was crushed, her skull cracked in three places, her ear canal collapsed and one of her eyes lost, according to the veterinarian’s report.

“The vet told me, ‘We can try to save her, but if she survives she will have permanent brain damage and may not be able to function,’ ” said Shelley Toole, who chose to have the dog euthanized.

“She was never an aggressive dog. All she wanted to do was play. We took her to the river and she rode in the boat with her head over the railing. She loved the water.”

Johnson, a 31-year veteran of the fire department, was treated at a local hospital for injuries to his wrist and thumb that he said he got when Karley bit his hand.

Johnson was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case, said Inspector Sam Padilla, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“He hasn’t been convicted of anything yet, so he can’t be fired,” said Padilla. “It’s called due process. What other people say is just their personal opinion. But you can’t hold a badge if you have a felony conviction.”

Johnson is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 13 at 1:30 p.m.

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david.kelly@latimes.com