Byron Anthony Snowton was sentenced in Douglas County Court Friday after being found guilty of misdemeanor animal cruelty in a January 29 bench trial.
PROBATION VIOLATION
Snowton was ALREADY on probation for a 2007 theft at the time of his arrest.
Snowton had been arrested Oct. 24 after animal control officers found a dog "sqeualing and yelping", tied by its hind legs and unable to stand in a yard outside an apartment building in the 800 block of Michigan Street.
The dog had bitten Snowton, who tied the dog outside while he went to the hospital and received 12 stitches in his hand.
The dog’s legs were bound with plastic ties used as handcuffs by military police, which Snowton said he possessed because of his service in the Kansas National Guard.
He tied this dog's legs together BEFORE he was bitten. If the dog bit him, why would he take the time to zip tie her legs together and THEN go to the hospital? Why wouldn't he have locked her in the bathroom or in the bedroom and just gone to the hospital?
There's no reasonable explanation as to why he would take the time to go find zip ties, grab the same dog that had already bitten you, hold her down while you're bleeding and she's not cooperating, zip tie her legs together and then leave her there in your yard while you then drive to the ER... If it doesn't make sense it's not true.
Animal control officers took the dog to a local veterinarian and then to the Lawrence Humane Society, where it remained Friday.
The dog had suffered abrasions on its legs, according to court testimony by a veterinarian at the Humane Society.
JUDGE FEELS SORRY FOR ANIMAL ABUSER...
Douglas County District Judge Michael Malone sentenced Snowton to four days in jail rather than the four-month maximum sentence because, he said, Snowton injured the dog through poor judgment and not malicious intent. He also ordered Snowton to pay more than $2,195 for the dog's care at the Humane Society.
Seriously? Four days in the county lockup? OK I see feeling sorry for him and not giving him the pathetic maximum of 4 months in the county jail, but 4 days? Why not 1/2 the maximum, 2 months? Why not 1/4 of the maximum, 1 month? Four days is laughable Michael Malone, especially since this moron WAS ALREADY ON PROBATION WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY.
...AND GIVES HIM BACK THE DOG HE ABUSED
After Snowton completes a court-ordered anger management course, he can reclaim the dog, Chloe, from the Humane Society, Judge Malone said.
(Lawrence Journal World - March 8, 2013)
Earlier:
- Massachusetts: Byron Snowton, 23, arrested after his dog was found with its back legs tied together with zip ties
- Massachusetts: Byron Snowton, 23, found guilty of animal cruelty after tying dog’s hind legs with zip ties
- Massachusetts: Bench warrant issued for Byron Snowton, who was found guilty of animal cruelty after zip tying his dog's legs together.
