Michael Berst, 26, pled not guilty to two counts in Hall County District Court Tuesday. Berst is facing two charges, cruel neglect of animals and tampering with evidence. Both charges are class four felonies and each charge carries a possible zero to five years of incarceration or a zero to $10,000 fine, or both.
The State says Berst used a ball-peen hammer to kill, Buddy, a 6-month-old pit bull mix.
Officials say a witness saw Berst placing what appeared to be the body of an animal in a dumpster on April 15.
"Police were notified by the Humane Society of a possible cruelties to animals case. A dog was evidently killed and thrown into a trash receptacle," said Officer Butch Hurst of the Grand Island Police Department.
Authorities said the dog was deceased by the time they arrived and that there were visible head wounds.
The State says Berst was questioned and later admitted to killing Buddy with blows to the head with a hammer.
(1011now - Jun 26, 2013)
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