Utah man arrested, accused of killing dog, burying it in backyard

WEST JORDAN, Utah (KSL.com) — A man was arrested Wednesday and accused of strangling his dog to death and burying it in his backyard.

Michael George Orfanos, 30, of West Jordan, Utah was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated animal cruelty and drug possession.

West Jordan police received a tip that Orfanos had told someone “he had killed his own dog and buried it in the backyard of the residence,” according to a police booking affidavit. Officers responded to the residence and questioned Orfanos.

He allegedly told the officers no dogs were living in the home. When asked why there was dog feces in the backyard, Orfanos said three days earlier “he became upset at a separate situation and started to choke his dog. While choking the dog, the dog began to struggle to breathe and died,” the affidavit states.

Orfanos claimed even though he had abused the dog in the past, he had not been upset with the dog at the time he killed the animal, according to the arrest report. It is unknown what type of dog it was.

Officers searching Orfanos before taking him to jail reported finding heroin in his back pocket.