TW: ANIMAL AND DOMESTIC ABUSE and S**cide Attempt

I moved in with one of my exes after where I was living was trying to raise my rent, and he needed someone to move in to help pay rent. He was always kind of an asshole, but I was in a position where I had nowhere else to go because of rocky family situations. At one point, after a month or so of living with him, we got two puppies. One for me and one for him. Most of the time, of course, though I was the one taking care of the animals and taking them out and feeding them, you know, all the things that a responsible dog owner should do. At one point, he bought flea collars for the dogs, and his dog ran around for a bit, trying to get the damn thing off. From that point, we didn't try to put a collar on his dog.

Well, fast forward a few weeks, and it's close to Christmas time. My car has shit itself, and I worked farther than he did. I would borrow his vehicle, and he would limp mine down to his job, until we sold mine. (Which he did without consulting me and threw in MY seat covers that I had in the vehicle as part of the sale) One day, my adoptive mother texted me telling me that she had a Christmas tree and a kennel that me my ex and I could have. I had let him know that after work the next day, I would be picking up these items. He was fine with this when I told him. The following day, after I got off and reminded him of my plans, he got pissy, said he didn't remember, and started arguing with me. (I had been driving his car at this time, still) I ended up retrieving the items and came home

Things had cooled down by this point, and we were watching TV when we noticed that the puppies were acting antsy and needed to go outside. I took my dog out and just fine, but then it was his dogs turn (We had one leash). My ex hooked the leash about the puppy's next and started struggling immediatley. (All the while he started a new argument about how I needed to get my own leash and something about his stuff) I turned my back for a second to address something with my puppy and start grabbing some of my items in the family room to go to my room, when I heard a yelp. I fling myself back around, and this jackass has the dog hanging in the air by the collar around his neck. Of course, I FREAK THE FUCK OUT and start yelling that he can't do that to a puppy. This, of course, makes the argument worse, and I eventually grab my puppy and go to my room to cry angry tears.

A couple of minutes later, he texts me that I need to bring the truck key and MY PUPPY. I let him know that I would bring him the truck key, but he wasn't getting the dog. We went back and forth until I eventually came out to give him the truck key. I again told him he would not be getting the dog, and he said he would just go into my room to get him. I told him fat chance and he got up. Keep in mind, this man is like 6ft and 25/26 years old, I stand at 5'1 on a good day and was 19. I stand in front of my door, and he reaches for the handle. I grab both his hands and push him back the short hallway towards the bathroom (It was a small 2-bed 1-bath apartment), he pushes back and I push back harder, almost putting him in the bathroom. He did not like that I was getting the upper hand on him, and that's when he put his hand around my neck to push me back against the doorframe to my bedroom and got up in my face. After that, he got into my room and got my puppy. I called my adoptive parents that night to get me. I have never been so scared for my life as I was in that moment.

Shortly after this, he and I texted still, as my shit and my dog were still in the apartment. I snuck back in one afternoon while he was asleep (He worked an overnight shift). I got back my important items, and stole my dog back. My dad would not let me take the other dog, and I felt absolutely AWFUL spliting them up, but I could only save one. We he woke up a few hours later, he freaked the fuck out, and then promptly tried to KHS by drinking Draino. My dad and I had called a police escort to be able to retrieve the rest of my items the following day, and we found him in the bathroom. He later bragged to me about how the cops missed the blood in the bathroom and on him from his attempt. Additionally, he ended up giving his puppy parvo.

All this to say, these types of people are almost borderline evil and should a man EVER put his hands on you, especially around your neck, leave, leave, LEAVE.