Meth Addict Jailed For Strangling & Sexually Assaulting A Chihuahua

For methamphetamine user Robert Edward De Shields, one side effect of the drug is apparently the strong desire to sexually abuse animals. The Sacramento parolee was sentenced this week to 10 years in state prison for his appalling treatment of an 8-month-old chihuahua.

Last month, a jury convicted De Shields, 55, of strangulation and sexual abuse of the animal. Prosecutors in the animal-cruelty case say De Shields was high on meth at the time of the attack, reports L.A. Now.

Confined to a wheelchair, De Shields was renting a space in a Sacramento home. In March, the homeowners found the suspect holding the scared dog. The following day, the dog was missing then discovered - in pain and shock - in the garage with De Shields. A veterinarian examined the animal and found severe injuries to the dog's rectum and internal organs. The assault involved penetration with a foreign object, according to The Sacramento Bee.

In addition to his jail time, De Shields has been ordered to register as a sex offender.

The chihuahua - Shadow - now lives in a foster home with county shelter employee Laura Badeker. She said the following during Friday's hearing.

"Shadow is a victim in every sense of the word," she told the judge. The dog is extraordinarily fearful of men, "like many victims of sexual assault," she said, and may never fully recover from its physical wounds.