Police: Scottsdale man arrested for killing service dog, stabbing it over 100 times

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (FOX 10) -- A Scottsdale man is accused of stabbing a service animal to death, but how many times he stabbed the dog is even more disturbing.

The gruesome animal cruelty case is under investigation. Police say 27-year-old Jacob Bushkin stabbed his Golden Retriever more than 100 times and the dog's body was found in a trash can.

"I mean.. I can't imagine who would do that to an animal and especially one like that because they're not aggressive dogs," said Marcia Solomon, a neighbor.

Neighbors who live next to Bushkin stated he didn't say much to anyone, kept to himself and appeared to be involved in suspicious activity at his home.

On Monday, police say Bushkin called family members, saying his 4-year-old dog, "Cub" had died.

"He never.. he didn't come and tear people's yards up. He didn't do anything like that," said Solomon.

Investigators say Cub was an Arizona state qualified service animal.

According to Sgt. Ben Hoster, a veterinarian in Phoenix notified police on February 25 at 1 p.m. that a dead 4-year-old Golden Retriever had been brought in by family members and that it had been killed at a home near Hayden and Thomas Roads.

A search through Bushkin's home on Wednesday night revealed more evidence connecting him to the crime, police say.

"And they started investigating what the cause of death was. They were here about five hours," said Jerry Olson, a neighbor.

Police served a search warrant at Bushkin's home Wednesday night. They say they found cleaning supplies, an empty kitchen knife set, and a large pool of blood. Bushkin had allegedly turned his phone off.

A necropsy revealed Cub had been stabbed over 100 times and was alive during the attack.

On February 28, police arrested Bushkin and he was held on charges of killing a service animal and animal cruelty.

"He's only been here probably six months now. There's just been all these weird things going on and it's like there is something not right over there," said Solomon.

We have confirmed with a Keller Williams real estate agency in Scottsdale that Bushkin was licensed there, but stopped working at that office more than a year ago.