HOUSTON — A Houston man pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty and received a 10-year prison sentence after authorities accused him of suspending a severely injured and malnourished puppy from its neck until it lost consciousness.
Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said deputies arrested Carrick Green, 44, in 2025 following an investigation from the agency’s Animal Cruelty Unit and the Houston SPCA.
The case involved Jinx, a 5-month-old mixed-breed puppy that authorities said suffered severe neglect and abuse.
Court records state that Green used a leash and collar to suspend Jinx in the air. The puppy cried, yelped and struggled before going limp about 45 seconds later.
Authorities also said Jinx suffered internal injuries and a shattered femur. The leg injury required partial amputation.
Jinx survived, recovered and later found an adoptive home.
“Pets should be treated with kindness, not brutality,” Rosen said Wednesday. “This was just vicious.”
Green also received a 10-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon. Deputies found a handgun inside his backpack when they arrested him on the animal cruelty warrant, according to Rosen.
The constable’s office said Green had nine prior felony convictions, including attempted possession of a firearm as a felon and assault of a public servant stemming from an attack on a detention officer at the Harris County Jail.
Rosen urged people to report suspected animal cruelty to the Houston SPCA at 713-869-7722.
“We need everyone’s help,” Rosen said. “If you see something, say something.”
