Floyd Co. man arrested for skinning dogs to make “doggy coat”

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) — There is another troubling animal abuse case of Floyd County.

We first reported on twenty horses deliberately shot and killed.

Now comes this, Kentucky State Police say 38-year-old Jonathan D. Watkins is accused of killing his neighbor’s dogs and ‘skinning’ them.

We must warn you the details are graphic.

It was December 23rd when state troopers responded to a complaint in the David community of Floyd County.

The caller told them his neighbor, Jonathan Watkins, had killed his two dogs, skinned them, and had the skins and carcasses hanging off his front porch.

“Apparently he made a statement that he was making a fur coat out of the dogs’ hides,” says KSP Post 9 Public Affairs Officer, Trooper William Petry.

The neighbor, Joshua Vick, told troopers he later saw four animal skins on Watkins’ front porch along with two skinned dog carcasses. He notified troopers one of their other neighbor’s two dogs were missing. Two others in the area also witnessed the animal skins and carcasses on his porch, according to KSP.

State police say Watkins admitted in graphic detail to killing his neighbors’ dogs, saying he stabbed them in the heart and threw the carcasses over the hill when he was done skinning them. Investigators say they found two skinned carcasses.

“He does have a criminal history here in Floyd County for several different things,” says Trooper Petry.

We looked into his lengthy criminal history. His rap sheet is five pages long with charges ranging from assault to murder of a police officer, who was his stepfather,  Albert Bloomfield – a Magoffin County deputy jailer.

That 2013 case was eventually dismissed after a psychiatric evaluation found him not responsible.

In this case, Watkins is charged with dog torture and tampering with physical evidence.

He’s being held without bond pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Watkins’ case is scheduled to be reviewed January 24th.