Duke The Dog Dies Shortly After Neighbor Beats Him With Bat

A Michigan family says their dog was beaten and killed by a neighbor for jumping a fence.

Linda Lorenzen says she watched in horror as her neighbor repeatedly hit her dog, Duke, in the head with a baseball bat earlier this week.

"He continued to beat my dog to within inches of his life," she told Fox 2. "I was crying and begging him, 'Please stop!' because I could have walked over and pulled him away. But he wouldn't stop beating him."

She called police, but says responders were "annoyed" with the call. The assailant wasn't identified or arrested, and police wouldn't comment on why, Fox 2 reports.

Lorenzen filmed Duke shortly after the attack (above). He was bloodied and bruised before he died. He may have been trying to attack the neighbor or his dog, but Lorenzen said it doesn't justify the kill.

"The dog wasn't even attacking him at that point. If he did even snap at him, or bite him, whatever, knock him out and get away. But don't beat and beat and beat on the dog," she said.

High-profile animal cruelty cases are making headlines lately. Just days ago, shocking video of newborn calves being abused was released. Meanwhile, readers are still donating to the cause of Joseph the dog, who was chained to a tree for four years straight.