A MAN is set to appear in court over an incident in which a dog died.

Police were called to Henson Park, Chard, on September 30 after reports of an incident in the stairwell of a block of flats.

Now, the dog’s owner and his partner have spoken to the News about the incident, paying tribute to their beloved pet Snoopy and describing the night he died.

The incident allegedly started when the owner’s partner, who wished to remain anonymous, opened the door to their flat - allowing Snoopy to run off.

She said: “The intercom system wasn’t working, so if someone rings the buzzer you can’t speak to them before you let them in.

“On Saturday night (September 30) someone rang the buzzer and I assumed it was someone I knew.

“I opened the door to see who it was and our Jack Russell, Snoopy, ran out.

“It was may partner’s dog and I had known him about four years.

“He was 14 years old, very friendly and a very small Jack Russell.

She said Snoopy ran down the stairs before she gave chase.

It was then she saw the animal being assaulted, the owner claimed.

“I shouted to my partner and he jumped out of bed and ran down,” she said.

“Because I had another two dogs running around my flat I went back indoors and shut them in.

“I called the police, and then I let my partner back in. He said someone had taken the dog.”

She added: “Next, we heard people in the corridor and I looked through the spy hole and police were down there.

“We started walking on down and that was when I looked to the left and saw Snoopy was dead.”

The dog’s owner, who also wished to remain anonymous, had been having a lie down when he was heard his partner shouting.

He said: “We were going to be watching a film so I thought I would go for a lie down and I heard my partner shouting.

“I ran down. There were no barks.

“By the time I got down there I think Snoop was dead.

“Snoopy was so friendly.

“I had a gas man come about a year ago and I found Snoopy sitting on his lap while he was working.

“He was the nicest dog you could ever meet.”

A police spokesman said a 31-year-old man has been charged over an incident in Chard and was due to appear in court.

The spokesman said: “Craig Knight, of Boden Street, has been charged to appear at South Somerset Magistrates Court on November 11.

“He has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, criminal damage, and common assault.

“This relates to an incident at a property in Henson Park, Chard on September 30.”