High school senior accused of beating stray dog to death in apartment, police say

Blood and fur were splattered on the living room wall where a black dog was beaten to death with a yellow plastic broom at Club Hill Apartments, a Columbus police officer testified Tuesday in Recorder’s Court.

Renardo Welch, a 17-year-old senior at Hardaway High School, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals in the Sept. 23 beating death at 2840 Warm Springs Road. Judge Julius Hunter considered a $15,000 bond but agreed on a lesser $2,500 bond after a plea from Welch’s public defender, Marie Pardue. She tried to get a lower bond to allow Welch to finish his last year in school.

Hunter ordered Welch to have no contact with any animals if he is released on bond. He bound the charge over to Muscogee Superior Court.

Police officer Brady Carbone said authorities was called about 8 p.m. Sept. 25 to the apartment complex to meet a parent who said the teen killed a stray dog on Sept. 23.

Another teen who lives at the house told the officer he saw blood and fur on the living room wall before he was told the stay dog was killed.

In talking with police, Welch said he told the black dog to leave after it was found on the front porch. He let the dog inside the apartment before directing the dog to get out of the complex.

Welch told police he grabbed a yellow plastic broom and struck the dog in the head multiple times, killing the animal. The dog was dragged into the woods behind the apartment.

Carbone testified the teen wasn’t harmed or faced any danger from the animal before the dog was struck viciously in the head for not leaving the complex. The battered dog was found on its side in the woods.

Welch stood silent and didn’t testify during the hearing.

This story was originally published October 2, 2018 at 1:00 PM.