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California Pitbull Owner Faces Sentence For Starving Dog
Photo by bestzmile via Shutterstock
Animal cruelty isn't taken very lightly by our justice system. NFL quarterback Michael Vick spent 548 days in federal prison for his dog-fighting ring. Now, a 44-year-old Central California man, Valentino Torres, faces up to six years for animal cruelty when he gets sentenced on Oct. 28 in Madera County Superior Court.
"The animal was treated outrageously by the person who owned it," Madera County District Attorney Michael R. Keitz told LAist. "To have the dog tied with up with an 18-pound chain and forced to drink from a mud puddle was absolutely horrendous."
In September 2009, an animal control officer found a severely emaciated pit bull tied to a street sign near Clinton Street and Vineyard Avenue in Madera. The dog had large open sores and its bones were clearly visible; a veterinarian later testified that the dog would have died within days if it had not been rescued, Keitz said.
In addition, The Los Angeles Times reported Torres' previous conviction of "discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent matter" will be taken into account for his sentencing.
"I just hope the sentencing he receives commensurates with what he should be sentenced to for abusing this poor animal," Keitz said.
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