Animal rights activists clash with supporters of doctor found guilty of animal abuse

DEARBORN COUNTY, Ind. (WXIX) - Animal rights activists clashed with supporters of a doctor who was found guilty of animal abuse outside of a courtroom Tuesday.

Prosecutors say that Joseph Stubbers, 58, was found guilty after shooting and hitting his dog in the head with a hammer in July 2019.

Supporters of Stubbers and animal rights activists got into a fight Tuesday after a judge pushed back his sentencing to Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.

**WARNING: The video contains explicit language**

According to the Dearborn and Ohio County Prosecutor’s Office, Stubbers was convicted on three counts of torturing and mutilating a vertebrae animal.

Someone called 911 after they saw him hit his dog, Cooper, in the head with a hammer, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors then add that some other witnesses say they saw Stubbers shoot Cooper.

Stubbers told sheriff’s deputies the dog attacked him when he grabbed its collar. He claimed the dog “latched” onto his arm.

Deputies said they did not see any marks on Stubbers’ arm.

Stubbers then told the deputies he took the hammer to threaten the dog and used it to hit the dog in the head.

The dog had a “mutilated” right eye and wet, fresh blood coming from it, deputies said.

Vicki Reiter, with PAWS of Dearborn County, said she wishes Cooper would have been allowed in the courtroom. She said people need to see what happened to Cooper.

“He needs to pay for what he did,” Reiter said. “I wish they would have brought Cooper in so people could see the damage that was done to this dog.”

Stubbers did address the court, saying he knows what he did to Cooper is wrong and inexcusable.

He faces up to two and a half years in jail.

The Ohio Medical Board could also decide to suspend Stubbers license or even revoke it altogether.

Cooper, an English Mastiff, was rescued by Dearborn County Animal Control following the crime.

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