Vanzant man arrested after posting video of himself beating puppies to death
<p class="p1">Josiah Wheat, 30, of Vanzant is currently being held in the Douglas County Jail on a $15,000 or 10 percent cash bond after five counts of animal abuse by torturing and/or mutilating an animal while it is alive were filed against him Sept. 1. </p><p class="p1">A news release from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the charges come after it received several calls from all over the U.S. and Canada referencing a Facebook video reportedly posted by Wheat showing him beating a group of five puppies to death with a baseball bat. According to the <em>Springfield News-Leader,</em> the video was approximately one minute long. </p><p class="p1">If Wheat makes bond, court records indicate he must be supervised by Court Probationary Services. The online records also say he is banned from possessing any domesticated animal. </p><p class="p1">Wheat could face up to four years in prison for each count if convicted of the class E felonies. Information on his first court appearance has not yet been released. </p>
Josiah Wheat
