Posted on 12/08/2004 12:45:36 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
SKOWHEGAN -- A 26-year-old Fairfield man was sentenced to 18 months behind bars Tuesday for beating a 4-month-old wolf-hybrid puppy to death with his fists.
James Mayhew pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty in Somerset County Superior Court. Superior Court Chief Justice Nancy Mills sentenced Mayhew to five years in prison with all but 18 months suspended. Mayhew will be on probation for four years after he is released.
Kennebec and Somerset County District Attorney Evert N. Fowle said Tuesday afternoon that his office treats animal cruelty cases seriously because studies show a link between abuse of animals and violence against humans.
"People who would abuse or torture innocent animals are people who would do the same (to humans) under the right circumstances," Fowle said.
It was the second time in less than a week that a prison sentence was handed down for the relatively rare felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty in Fowle's jurisdiction.
In Augusta last week, Superior Court Justice Joseph Jabar sentenced a Randolph man to four years behind bars for running over and killing his girlfriend's pregnant cat.
Jabar said the act amounted to domestic abuse because it was an attempt to control his girlfriend. One witness described the man "howling and laughing," before killing the cat.
In the Mayhew case, Fowle said there was no link to domestic violence. The Fairfield man was apparently upset because the puppy urinated in his apartment.
"He beat the dog to death because it urinated inside his residence, but the dog urinated because it was scared to death of him because of past abusive treatment," Fowle said.
Police said the puppy was beaten over a period of two months and died on July 31.
An autopsy concluded the puppy had a broken rib, a severely bruised lung and bruised muscles around the head and ears.
Police said at the time of Mayhew's arrest, a veterinarian who performed the autopsy concluded the puppy either bled to death or suffocated on its own blood.
Mayhew had no other pets or animals at his Mountain Avenue home. He apparently had seen the dog advertised for sale and bought it at eight or six weeks old.
Not nearly long enough... but: good.
Good.
Not nearly long enough... but: good.
............................................................
Damn right!
OMG that is sooo sick. He deserves to be beat up himself!
And yet thousands of innocent babies are murdered in the womb everyday and it's called "choice".
Sick sonofab&tch...
Hmm, rip a preterm 8 month old limb from limb, and get paid... Beat a puppy and get 18 months..
Isn't there some inequeity here?
...? One cannot find both morally abhorrent...?
Hope Maine does have a "Shawshank" prison so he could get aquainted with "The Sisters".
See #7; same question.
A few years ago, a man in Florida was sentenced for killing his dog because he thought the dog was gay.
The prosecutor is right. People who treat animals like this will inevitably treat a human being like this given a motive and the opportunity.
Hope you guys don't get any flak for condemning the animal abuser. There's way too many folks on this board who will see you as PETA or animal rights extremists.
Very true...but this kind of thing still turns my stomach anyway...imagine what he would do to a helpless child because s/he made the mistake of having a potty training accident. Not much of a stretch for some of these psychos.
Welcome to the Pre-Crime unit. 18 months is too harsh for animal abuse. Make the guy do a ton of community service and probation, toss in some counseling, maybe a month or two behind bars. 18 months is waaaaaaay out of line for killing an animal.
Maybe he'll get raped in prison....here's hoping.
MAY HE ROT IN HELL.
..
Well I realize it was only a dog, but the time he is getting is not long enough...
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