Nebraska City, Nebraska – On September 17, a Nebraska City Police Officer was arrested and jailed on a charge of felony animal cruelty after his dog was found dead after being left outside in extreme heat. According to KETV News, 32-year-old Jacob Stenka, a K9 handler with the department, was booked into the Otoe County Jail.
Stenka’s dog was found dead on July 26 after a neighbor requested a welfare check on the canine, who had reportedly been left outside in extreme heat. By the time investigators arrived, the dog was dead.
Stenka is currently on unpaid suspension; he has served with the Nebraska City Police Department since 2023. Before joining the department, Stenka worked as a patrol officer with the Norton Police Department in Kansas.
Under Nebraska Revised Statute §28-1009, intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly abandoning or cruelly neglecting an animal is generally a misdemeanor, but becomes a Class IV felony when the abandonment or cruel neglect results in serious injury, illness, or death of the animal.
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21 Comments
Wow, it is Amazing how many commentors on here DID NOT READ the article, or half assed it. I AM Glad to see people bringing up and Talking about the Systemic pattern of Professional Animal Abuse by “professionals” and how many Do die at the hands of those Assigned to protect, handle and look after them. So Saddening, HOWEVER, This Article is about how he did Not kill his K9 Partner, but Killed his OWN pet by Willful Abuse by Neglect. How sad, I bet that baby was lonely as hell as well as scared Starving to Death ih the Heat by a ASSHOLE who Was looking after the dog that had Other Eyes on it so he Had to act right. This POS deserves No Less than to die in a similar manner, any other way is Just too fast a way out for him. He Deserves to Slow Suffer Just Like He did His OWN DOG. He took care of the police dog, and Willfully let his own die HORRIBLY. Rid us of this human Stain, please, and do like he did the dog, no one will say a word.
This individual is not fit to be working in the police department if he can’t even take care of his canine partner. He obviously does not respect the lives of other living beings. He needs to spend some serious time behind bars and never be allowed near another animal for the rest of his useless life.
You always see the slogan “To Serve And Protect”…. but Serve and Protect whom? Certainly not the animals that they neglect or willfully kill. Is it any wonder that the public is losing faith in all their law enforcement?
IF YOU CAN’T RELY ON THE ‘LAW’ TO LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN SERVICE DOGS!!!! THEN THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN’T LOOK AFTER HUMANKIND EITHER?????
SO THEY SHOULDN’T BE IN THE FORCE AT ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE INCAPABLE QUITE CLEARLY!!!
THIS POOR INNOCENT BEAUTIFUL SERVICE DOG ‘PAID THAT PRICE ‘
What further information could be required here? The guys’ a waste of skin. Pretty clear.
What further information could be required here? The guys’ a waste of skin. Pretty clear.
Take him to the train station!!!
Take him to the train station!!!
Take him to the train station!!!
No words can describe the AGONY and SUFFERING this innocent intelligent dog endured. FIRE THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY and proceed to prosecute with no less than 10 year prison term. WE DEMAND JUSTICE. NO ANIMAL OWNERSHIP FOR LIFE, PROBATION FOR FIVE YEARS WHEN RELEASED FROM PRISON!
Another POS who deserves to die. He should never be allowed to be a member if a police force ever again.
Time for more human garbage to be taken out. It won’t end until human perpetrators die in the same manner as the animal they killed. This officer should be permanently removed from life.
Is anyone waking up yet? How many of these have to be exposed before peopIe reaIize there is a pattern?
Despite what the compIicit media teIIs you, this is NOT EVER “one bad appIe,”
This is an institutionalized system of dog abuse, torture, and kiIIing. FAR more of these dogs Iose their Iives at the hands of their “trainers” and handIers than from any suspects. Many die Iike this one, from heat prostration . Some are IiteraIIy starved to death. A Iot of them expire from being hanged, slammed to the ground and up against waIIs, punched and kicked. And, a great deaI more are shot td death by their own handIers, or other officers on the k9 “team,” after the dogs have had enough of the torture, and attack their handIers.
In pubIic settings,, the departments and the handIers refer to the k9s as “partners.” In private, it is the opposite.; they are caIIed “tooIs,” or “equipment,” and treated with Iess respect than most other equipment. The crueI treatment of the dogs is TAUGHT and REQUIRED, If a handIer disagrees, he is kicked out, and his k9 is then assigned to someone who has no problem with abusing the dog.
PeopIe say, “but the dogs cost a Iot of money.” That is not a concern for the abusers, or the departments they work for, because they pay NONE OF IT.
Take his badge and make him suffer. There are far too many police K-9 handlers who fail to use common sense with the dogs who are serving them. Horrible choice in hiring. Bless that innocent dog who gave way more than he ever received back.
This officer needs to be fired immediately and not ever be allowed around animals again after he serves maximim amount of time in prison. No protected custody either; put in with general population, hopefully with animal lovers.
I fail to understand how law enforcement officers keep killing their K9 partners. They keep leaving dogs in cars, some have neglected them at home, starving them or abusing them. These dogs are their PARTNERS! Would they treat human partners like this? These police & sheriffs departments need to start treating this as though a human partner was killed. If these people are so irresponsible, why are they given guns and authority over the public?
I fail to understand how law enforcement officers keep killing their K9 partners. They keep leaving dogs in cars, some have neglected them at home, starving them or abusing them. These dogs are their PARTNERS! Would they treat human partners like this? These police & sheriffs departments need to start treating this as though a human partner was killed. If these people are so irresponsible, why are they given guns and authority over the public?
This K9 ‘partner’ would have given his life for You without a thought!
What a heartless uncaring Irresponsible partner you turned out to be by Taking his Life, without a thought!
Absolutely. This officer’s actions — or lack thereof — speak to his irresponsible approach to caring for his canine partner.
Unless an officer is incapacitated, there is no excuse for this criminal lack of judgment.
Police departments across the country need to hold irresponsible canine handlers responsible when their canine partners die at their hands.
What a poor excuse for an officer of the law! How do you leave a dog in a car to die? He doesn’t deserve to keep his job. He doesn’t represent right and wrong.!!
He needs to feel what he did to this dog …take his job from him make him pay major fines, and not be allowed around animals ever again!!