Rishi K. Joshi, 26, was sentenced Monday before Troy 52-4 District Judge Kirstin Nielsen Hartig on the charge, which stemmed from an incident police investigated in late September 2016.
The charge is a misdemeanor and Joshi was ordered to spend 15 days in Oakland County Jail and pay more than $5,200 in fines and probation costs.
Joshi has to be on probation for two years, complete 200 hours of community service and have no contact with any animals.
Clawson police turned the 13-week-old dog over to the Oakland County Animal Shelter after they investigated Joshi at his apartment in Clawson.
Neighbors concerned about hearing the puppy crying constantly called officers.
Clawson Police Lt. Scott Sarvello said officers went to the apartment Sept. 26 and while they were there tried to engage the dog and pet him.
“When they tried to pick the dog up it started whimpering and it was clear something was wrong,” Sarvello said. “They assumed the dog had some sort of internal injury.”
The St. Bernard pup was taken to a veterinarian in the area who discovered the dog had broken ribs.
“After we found the dog had been injured it was never returned to (Joshi),” Sarvello said.
The Daily Tribune published a story about the incident after the suspect was arraigned Oct. 3 and people began calling Clawson police and the county Animal Shelter wanting to adopt the young St. Bernard.
“There were people calling from all over the state,” Sarvello said.
The shelter cared for the dog, named Bella, while Joshi’s animal cruelty case made its way through the court.
When police first showed up at Joshi’s apartment on Gardner Street they said he was intoxicated. Police started an animal cruelty investigation after the suspect said he may have stepped on the dog, police said.
The county animal shelter and pet adoption center releases no information about people who adopt animals, but the dog now lives more than 50 miles away near the St. Clair River in St. Clair County, according to an official familiar with the case.
“Bella was adopted at the end of December,” said Tatum Eieson, an attendant at the shelter. “Animal cruelty case can take awhile to resolve. But Bella is doing well now and that’s all that matters.”
 |
| Rishi Joshi didn't even get the 93 days in county jail. Instead, he got 15 days and they'll probably let him serve it on the weekends so it won't affect his own life and burden him. |
(Oakland Press - Jan 31, 2017)
Earlier:
