A town chairman in northern Wisconsin has been arrested for mistreatment of an animal after allegedly strangling a stray dog to death.
Richard Van Buren, 55, was brought a stray golden retriever that a local had found at a nearby nature center on June 17 - since it was part of his job as the chairman of the town of Chester, Wisconsin, to take in lost animals.
According to criminal complaints, he attempted to put a collar on the dog as soon as it arrived, but it bit and resisted.
In response, he dangled it in the air by a leash multiple times, reportedly saying: 'This f***ing dog is going to die.'
The complaint stated: 'The dog's legs were off the ground and suspended about two feet in the air. It was foamed at the mouth.'
