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.
Here's hoping he gets a severe beating in prison.
Did this sick dumbass think puppies are born housebroken? They should lock these people up with the same dogs that are eventually destroyed because they attack or kill a person.
I'll admit that anyone who beats up a baby puppy is sick, but you shouldn't go to prison for 1 1/2 years for being sick. People have gotten less for worse things.
Reminds me of a story in the local paper today where a 21 year old sailor killed his 28 day old son while the mother slept by sitting on the baby to keep the little guy quiet so that the sailor could play Pokemon on a Game Boy machine. The sailor pleaded guilty to murder, five counts of "assault by means likely to cause grievous bodily harm" and one count of "assault consummated by a battery." Sailor got life in prison.
PAJAMA PUPPIES PING!
We can care about both in appropriate degrees.
Sick
He deserves much, much more than 18 months. That type of person can't be trusted around anyone or anything helpless.
Death penalty.
He will be.
Then he will be a wife for 18 months.
Not long enough? What about people who shoot birds for their feathers. Should I go to prison for three years for killing a bird for the heck of it? Maybe you should stop eating meat...
I'll 2nd that!!
Not extreme enough. The guy should be hung by the nuts and beaten with a pipe before he locked up. After they let him out, he should be forced to wear a tracking device because it's only a matter of time before he extends his violence to an innocent human.
IMO people who value animal life over human life show signs of mental disorder, were my opinion to become the dominant theory of law make you happy to wind up with 18 months in a mental hospital because of your statements here?
Yes, the guy was extremely cruel, and undoubtedly out of control with his actions. Punishment is deserved, 18 months is too much, besides do you think he'll be a better or worse person after spending 18 months with murderers, rapists, and other assorted thugs? Please invite him to dinner when he gets out, I'm sure he will see everything your way then.
Oooo....what a man. He oughta try it with someone his own size. Or maybe he should be tossed in a ring with a hungry adult Timberwolf. 4ft. at the shoulders. Let's see how tough he really is.
Hmmm...the movie Christmas Vacation comes to mind:
Eddie: "He's cute, ain't he? Only problem is, he's got a little bit of Mississippi leg hound in him. If the mood catches him right, he'll grab your leg, and just go to town.
You don't want him around if you're wearing short pants if you know what I mean.
A word of warning though: If he does lay into you, it's best to just let him finish."
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