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DES MOINES, Iowa – A police K-9 that helped apprehend a Des Moines man accused of stabbing his girlfriend’s puppy to death, bit and injured the suspect Monday, according to multiple reports.

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Authorities arrested Viljar Eduardo Rosales, 31, to face charges of animal abuse and interference with official acts, according to Polk County Jail records.

Police said they responded Sunday afternoon to a report of a dispute with a weapon in the 2300 block of Amherst Avenue, WHO-DT reported.

“Officers learned that prior to the call, the complainant had heard one of her pet dogs yelping loudly,” police said in a news release obtained by KCCI. “When she investigated this, she witnessed her boyfriend stabbing the dog.”

The woman ran into a bedroom and locked herself inside to call the police, authorities said. Meanwhile, Rosales, who was identified as the complainant’s boyfriend, fled the home, police said.

An Animal Rescue League employee took the dog, described as a mixed breed puppy between 6 and 8 weeks old, to a veterinary emergency hospital, where it later died of its injuries, KCCI and WHO reported.

Officers spotted Rosales a day later inside a vehicle in the 1500 block of 2nd Avenue, according to WHO. The news station reported that Rosales ran after officers contacted him, and a K-9 patrol dog was deployed. Police quickly apprehended Rosales, who was later treated for a bite injury, according to KCCI.

Rosales remained behind bars Wednesday, according to records from Polk County Jail.

In a statement obtained by WHO and KCCI, Tom Colvin, CEO of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, praised police for their quick response to the incident.

“This was clearly a devastating example of the fact that the link between human and animal violence is real,” he said. “The Animal Rescue League of Iowa wants people to realize that our animal cruelty laws, when properly applied, help the public as well as defenseless pets.”