Sioux City man pleads not guilty to throwing dog out window

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - A Sioux City man charged after he allegedly threw a dog out of the window of a third-story apartment says he is not guilty of the crime.

Jonathon Webster, Jr., is accused of animal abuse. Prosecutors say he tossed his girlfriend’s dog out the apartment window after it urinated on his bed on Thursday, May 21.

Court documents say the dog was found “barely alive” in the alley of the building near the 1700 block of Nebraska Street in Sioux City. The dog was taken to the Animal Adoption and Rescue Center and later to a veterinarian for treatment.

At an initial hearing Monday morning, a public defender entered a not guilty plea for Webster and demanded a speedy trial. Webster did not appear at the hearing. There is a pretrial conference set for Wednesday, July 1

If he is convicted, Webster could face up to two years in prison.

New Iowa animal torture law

This situation comes less than two weeks after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law upgrading animal torture from a misdemeanor to a felony. Violators could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

That law is not set to take effect until July 1. Until then, Iowa remains the only state where animal cruelty is not automatically a felony.

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