What the Hell? Michigan Man Charged After Strangling Family Dog

A Michigan man was recently charged after allegedly strangling his father's dog.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the man’s father walked into their home earlier this year and found his son choking their Labrador retriever, Punky.

Back on January 17, 2025, William John Kucharski Jr (48) was arraigned on a charge of Killing an Animal in the Third Degree, a four-year felony, and was also hit with a habitual fourth offender charge for allegedly strangling his father’s dog.

Macomb County’s official website says the dog was found dead with the man's arms still around it. But here’s the kicker, the vet who did the necropsy, basically an autopsy for dogs, couldn’t even determine the cause of death. All they found were some age-related health issues.

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Since the necropsy couldn’t prove Kucharski actually caused the dog’s death, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office dropped the Killing an Animal in the Third Degree charge, along with the habitual fourth offender charge. Instead, they hit him with a 93-day misdemeanor for Abandoning/Cruelty to One Animal.

Kucharski pleaded no contest. On March 17, 2025, he was sentenced to 63 days in jail with credit for time served and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Below, you can watch the intense standoff with Kucharski and the police.