A Warminster Township man experiencing marital discord due to a Belgian Shepherd he owned and he potentially being a threat to himself was arrested and jailed Wednesday for drowning the dog in the bathtub of a local residence.
Matthew Spanburgh, 28, was arraigned by District Justice Christopher O’Neill. He was remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10% of $300,000.00 on animal cruelty charges. He was also remanded to the facility on 10% of $30,000.00 on charges stemming from what appears to be a domestic-related incident that occurred on May 17, according to court records.
According to Police on Friday, May 16, 2025, at approximately 9:27 pm, officers responded to the 600 block of East Street Road for a check on the well-being of Spanburgh. He was having marital issues and may have killed his dog, police were told by someone concerned about Spanburgh’s well-being. The complaint, according to court records reported that they feared Spohnburgh might also kill himself.
Upon arrival, patrol officers spoke with Spanburgh, who confirmed that he had killed his black and tan Belgian Shepherd by drowning. Spanburgh then led the officers to the bedroom, where they observed the now dead dog.
Spanburgh, according to probable cause, told responding officers that he and his wife had a verbal altercation about the dog recently. This was because it knocked down their infant child. In addition, Spanburgh said his wife was concerned regarding their child’s safety around the Belgian Shepherd and left him a few days ago.
Police obtained a search warrant for the property and recovered the dog.
Warminster Police, working with Warminster Animal Control Officer and Bucks County SPCA, finished the investigation and obtained an arrest warrant for Spanburgh.
He’s been charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, as well as one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals. He is currently scheduled to appear in court on August 4 to answer the charges in both cases.
Spanburgh has no attorney of record, according to court records as of publication time.
Recent Comments