I'd like to hear dairyflat's thoughts on the matter.
Worry, not just because of the battering of the pup but because - "A growing body of research indicates that people who commit acts of cruelty towards animals rarely stop there. 6 Murderers and people who abuse their spouse or children frequently harmed animals in the past.7 People who abuse animals are not only dangerous to their animal victims but may also be dangerous to people.8 "