Judge issues ban on animals, weapons for La Pine-area man accused of animal abuse caught on camera

Richardson respected the Judge's ruling but stressed as a Vietnam Veteran with Traumatic Brain Injury, those dogs were his lifeline
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A judge ruled that a La Pine-area man whose three dogs were taken away after a widely seen video of him repeatedly hitting one with a shovel, was not allowed to own animals or firearms as his court case unfolds. The 75-year-old Vietnam Veteran had filed an emergency petition to get them back.

Also, the prosecutor in the case confirmed Tuesday to KTVZ News that Hooch suffered "multiple internal physical injuries" in the attack, including brain injuries. However she added that Hooch and the two others are now "doing very well" at the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

KTVZ News waited for hours outside the Deschutes County Courthouse to get Richardsons side of the story, but he declined.

During his brief court appearance Tuesday, Richardson was heard telling his court appointed lawyer that he suffers from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and PTSD after being injured while serving as a Marine during the Vietnam War.

Though Richardson wanted all three dogs returned to him, he mainly petitioned to have Everett and Paco returned to him. The two dogs were seized, along with Hooch, when Richardson was arrested outside the La Pine Post Office.

In a 10-page letter to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Division and filed in court Monday, Richardson claims "several serious procedural and factual errors in this case," focusing on the removal and seizure order for his three dogs - Hooch, the injured animal, as well as EV (Everett) and Paco.

Among other claims, Richardson said his other two dogs were not listed on the seizure or removal order, and that he has not been shown the video evidence seen by so many online. He noted all of his dogs have been seen by a local vet annually since he moved to the area in 2018 and that the two older dogs are rescues with ID tags, vaccinations and licenses.

"Hooch is not licensed as I did not know if he would survive first year," Richardson wrote.

Richardson also asked that adoptions not proceed for any of the dogs "until this matter is fully adjudicated."

Richardson was arrested and charged and the dogs were seized after a KTVZ Problem Solvers report broke the news regarding the widely viewed, disturbing video of the alleged assault on Hooch.

Deschutes County Circuit Judge Raymond Crutchley plans a brief emergency hearing Tuesday afternoon on Richardson's claims and on prosecutors' motion to amend his conditional release to say he can possess no domestic animals while the case is pending, and to place an emergency temporary hold on the two other dogs.

Crutchley also plans to set a hearing on a petition prosecutors filed Monday for the immediate forfeiture of Hooch.

After numerous requests for information on Hooch's condition, KTVZ News reached out to Deschutes County Deputy District Attorney Rosalie Beaumont.

She shared with us Tuesday that "after being seized, Hooch was taken to an independent vet (meaning outside of HSCO) and underwent a full examination. 

"The examination confirmed that Hooch had multiple internal physical injuries, with at least one of the injuries possibly resulting in long-term complications. However, the puppy is otherwise healthy, stable, and now doing very well at HSCO," Beaumont told us.

Richardson is charged with first-degree aggravated animal abuse, a felony, and second-degree animal abuse. He is scheduled for arraignment on May 20 on those charges.

(You can read Richardson's letter in full below, as well as the sheriff's office report filed in court.)