WAREHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A New Hampshire man is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities say he stuffed a small dog into a dumpster in Wareham because the animal was preventing him from getting some sleep.

Officers responding to a report of a man who had heaved a black and white dog into a dumpster at 3030 Cranberry Highway found the animal’s upset owner removing it from the trash, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.

The owner told police that a man named “James” was staying at his home and had discarded his dog in the dumpster. Witnesses also reported seeing a man walk over to the dumpster, lift the lid, and heave the dog into the trash.

James Balboni, 28, of Dover, was later identified as the suspect. He allegedly told officers that he threw the dog away because he “was tired, had not slept, and the dog would not stop bothering him.”

Balboni is charged with animal cruelty. He will be arraigned in Wareham District Court at a later date.

The dog was not injured and is back with its owner.

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