Man Accused in Dog Stabbing Now Ruled Incompetent

The New Haven man accused of stabbing his dog 29 times because "no one liked her" will spend the next two months in a mental hospital after he was found incompetent to stand trial in the case Tuesday.

A first competency hearing held several months ago in the case found Alexander Bernard, 25, competent, but a second request for a determination of competency last week came back with the opposite results Tuesday.

That means that Bernard will be treated for the next 60 days at a state mental hospital because the testing found him unable to understand the charges he is facing and help his defense. He is due back in court in November to determine if he is then competent.

The dog, named Princess, is a pit bull mix who has been at the North Haven Animal Hospital since the attack. She has recovered from her injuries and the court has determined that she can now be put up for adoption, though it wasn't clear Tuesday if that had yet happened.

Bernard stabbed the dog at least 29 times while at a Dixwell Avenue home on May 25, according to police, who charged him with animal cruelty. She suffered a collapsed lung among other injuries, and hospital officials said she has healed from those injuries and is doing well at the hospital.

In July Bernard turned down a plea deal that called for him spending 90 days in jail, which would have led to his release in August. He remained held on bond until Tuesday, when he was turned over to the state's Department of Mental Health.