PORTER TOWNSHIP | The owner of a large black rottweiler "flipped out" and suddenly slit the dog's throat Sunday night at his friend's home southwest of Valparaiso, police said.

The suspect, Joseph Zych, 31, of Porter County, faces an animal cruelty charge, Porter County police said.

Police said Zych wasn't immediately arrested because he fled from his friend's home after killing his dog, but he was located Monday and was arrested on an unrelated drunken driving warrant.

Zych's friend, Thomas Wolf, told police the dog killing occurred about 10 p.m. Sunday at his home in the 600 block of West County Road 175 South in Porter Township. Zych had been spending time at the home because his girlfriend kicked him out of where he had been living, police said.

Wolf told police he asked Zych to find another place for his rottweiler because there wasn't enough room for it. During their conversation, Zych said his sister was going to take the dog -- and she confirmed to police she would have taken the dog the next day and cared for it until Zych got a permanent home.

But Zych, for no apparent reason, suddenly "flipped out" and started "going crazy," Wolf told police. Wolf said Zych used a large hunting knife to stab the dog in the throat. The dog tried to bite in retaliation, at which time Zych stabbed it again, Wolf told police.

Police said Wolf was scared about what Zych might do, and Wolf even mentioned he was willing to shoot Zych in the foot to calm him down. But Zych ran toward some nearby woods once he knew police had been called.

Zych's sister told police her brother has been unstable recently and has been relying on alcohol. The sister told police she rescued the dog from an abusive owner and gave it to her brother two years ago. The dog had not caused any problems and Zych had not harmed it, his sister said.

Police said the dog died during the investigation.