ARLINGTON — A 41-year-old Arlington man is being held on $500,000 bail in Snohomish County Jail in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s pit bull.

According to a police affidavit filed in Everett District Court on Tuesday, April 6, deputies allege Norman Ray Sandretzky killed Bucky and threatened to kill his girlfriend — Stephanie R. Swanson of Arlington.

Sandretzky surrendered to authorities on Monday and was booked for investigation of first-degree animal cruelty and felony domestic violence harassment.

Swanson said in the affidavit that she had spoken to Sandretzky on March 29. During that phone call, Swanson said that Sandretzky had shot and killed the dog because it was “no longer listening to him and was no longer ‘useful’ to him.”

Sandretzky, who had been in a relationship with Swanson for the past 17 years, allegedly told her that she was no longer useful to him and that she was next, the affidavit said.

The following day Swanson went to property where the act took place, located near 137th Avenue NE and 208th Street NE, and found the 80-pound dog hanging by its hind legs in the property’s barn.

Nearby she also found a bloody hammer and drill, which looked as if they had been used on the dog.

On April 2, Swanson and some family members went back to the property, which was owned by her mother, and recovered the dog’s remains and the hammer and drill for evidence, the affidavit said.

A veterinarian performed a necropsy and reported that the dog had been killed by several blunt force trauma strikes to the head, adding that there were drilled holes in the dog’s chest but no signs of gunshot wounds.

Sandretzky was ordered on Tuesday by a district court judge to have no contact with Swanson.ARLINGTON — A 41-year-old Arlington man is being held on $500,000 bail in Snohomish County Jail in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s pit bull.

According to a police affidavit filed in Everett District Court on Tuesday, April 6, deputies allege Norman Ray Sandretzky killed Bucky and threatened to kill his girlfriend — Stephanie R. Swanson of Arlington.

Sandretzky surrendered to authorities on Monday and was booked for investigation of first-degree animal cruelty and felony domestic violence harassment.

Swanson said in the affidavit that she had spoken to Sandretzky on March 29. During that phone call, Swanson said that Sandretzky had shot and killed the dog because it was “no longer listening to him and was no longer ‘useful’ to him.”

Sandretzky, who had been in a relationship with Swanson for the past 17 years, allegedly told her that she was no longer useful to him and that she was next, the affidavit said.

The following day Swanson went to property where the act took place, located near 137th Avenue NE and 208th Street NE, and found the 80-pound dog hanging by its hind legs in the property’s barn.

Nearby she also found a bloody hammer and drill, which looked as if they had been used on the dog.

On April 2, Swanson and some family members went back to the property, which was owned by her mother, and recovered the dog’s remains and the hammer and drill for evidence, the affidavit said.

A veterinarian performed a necropsy and reported that the dog had been killed by several blunt force trauma strikes to the head, adding that there were drilled holes in the dog’s chest but no signs of gunshot wounds.

Sandretzky was ordered on Tuesday by a district court judge to have no contact with Swanson.