Former District Dogs employee arrested in death of 5-month-old puppy

A former employee of a District Dogs day care was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges for allegedly kicking and killing a 5-month-old puppy earlier this year, authorities say.

Adriano Demorais, 33, was arrested Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said.

Demorais was feeding dogs at the day care’s Navy Yard location on the morning of Feb. 16, when he forcefully kicked “Bronny,” a mountain-cur/German shepard mix, according to the attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said Bronny collapsed seconds after Demorais kicked the puppy in the left side of the stomach. The dog was transported to a nearby veterinary facility but could not be revived, District Dogs previously said.

Demorais admitted to kicking Bronny out of frustration over the puppy being too energetic while he was trying to feed the dogs, the attorney’s office said. District Dogs fired Demorais after the incident.

A necropsy, similar to an autopsy for humans, confirmed Bronny’s cause of death was blunt abdominal trauma with subsequent hemorrhagic shock.

If convicted, Demorais faces up to five years in prison.