Here's an ugly story making the rounds: University of Illinois-Chicago junior Kyle Voissem, the star of the UIC team, has been charged with a felony after allegedly pouring a pot of boiling water over his dog Byron.
The incident occured in Voissem's apartment in October, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which also posted a picture of poor burned Byron, a Mountain Cur.
According to police records, the dog urinated on the floor while Voissem, 20, was heating water for macaroni and cheese. The accident made Voissem so mad that he took the boiling water and poured it onto the dog, which resulted in second and third degree burns on the dog's head and torso.
Voissem was initially charged with a misdemeanor for animal cruelty, but the Illinois State attorney has upgraded the charges to a felony.
Voissem, who competed at the U.S. Junior Championships several years ago, was one of the stars of the UIC program. He was officially taken off the team yesterday after a court appearance following his Dec. 13 arrest.
Irony note one: Voissem is a criminal justice major at UIC. Irony note two: He was wearing a T-shirt that said "Bulldogs Pride" at the time of his arrest, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Byron, who was given to the Anti-Cruelty society, has been adopted into a new home, the Sun-Times reported.
Note: What a horrible story. I'm going to console myself by looking at pretty gymnastics photos and try to feel better.
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