A Michigan prison inmate is accused of hitting a therapy dog, giving the animal a concussion

A Michigan inmate has been charged with torturing an animal after a video surfaced showing him beating a prison dog.

Video released by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office shows the dog, Josie, approaching inmate Romello Maxwell, 27, identified by the sheriff’s office, who then appears to violently strike the animal. The dog was thrown off his feet and howled.

The footage stops as another man confronts Maxwell.

In a news conference, Sheriff Christopher Swanson said Maxwell would be charged with being a habitual offender and could face up to eight years in prison if convicted. It is not immediately clear whether he has entered a plea.

Swanson says therapy dogs are used on guards, inmates and even victims as part of an extensive canine program at the sheriff’s office.

Josie is just over a year old and weighs less than 15 pounds, Swanson says. She suffered a concussion and a grazed pupil. According to Swanson, the vet bill was thousands of dollars.

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“It broke my heart when I watched that video,” said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, adding that Maxwell was charged “as harshly as possible” under the law.

Maxwell was in jail after being charged with assault, Swanson said.

Josie will continue to work for the sheriff’s office and is doing “great,” according to the sheriff.