Dog starved to death in cage
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...ETRO/705080368
Man jailed in dog's starving death
Two-year-old German shepherd died in a cage, 5 feet from food; owner gets 90 days.
Edward L. Cardenas / The Detroit News
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
MOUNT CLEMENS -- A 22-year-old man was sentenced Monday to spend the next 90 days in jail for starving his German shepherd to death in a cage in his Sterling Heights apartment while dog food sat nearby.
Jason Kraft pleaded guilty March 26 to charges of killing an animal and improper burial for not giving food, water or medicine to his 2-year-old dog, "Fonzi," as it slowly died in its cage in the Kingsley Apartments.
Macomb Assistant Prosecutor Steven Kaplan said Kraft apologized prior to sentencing, and noted Kraft was suffering from depression. But Kaplan said he felt that the apology was "insincere."
"It was not an isolated incident. This was chronic neglect," Kaplan said.
"The remorse is for himself, not for the dog."
Sterling Heights Police Capt. Frank Mowinski, who oversees animal control, hoped the sentence sends a message to the public about how serious the city and the courts take animal abuse.
"That is the worst I have ever seen," Mowinski said, referring to the abuse of the dog.
When Kraft completes his 90-day jail term, he will then be placed on probation until May 2010. He also was sentenced by Macomb County Circuit Judge Matthew Switalski to serve 500 hours of community service and pay $500 restitution to the city of Sterling Heights; $1,435 restitution to the apartment complex owners; and $3,000 in fines.
Kraft also will not be allowed to care for, own, or live in a home with a pet during his probation.
Attempts to reach defense attorney Darin Kanfer were unsuccessful.
Residents in the same two-story section of Kraft's apartment complex did not answer repeated rings of their doorbells.
One resident, who declined to identify himself, said Kraft's apartment, after standing vacant for several months, has now been rented out again.
Sterling Heights Animal Control workers were alerted in January by Kraft's neighbors that the whimpers from the dog had stopped. When officers arrived, they found the dog dead in his cage in a spare bedroom, just 5 feet away from dog food.
"The dog could see and smell the food and water, but could not reach either," Kaplan said.
Investigators believed the dog had been dead for nearly a week, and its bones were showing. It had injuries to its paws from trying to escape the cage and maggots in its skin showing that it had died from a lack of nutrients.
Kaplan added that Kraft took Fonzi to the veterinarian in November and he was healthy. Kraft received a prescription for worms, but is believed to have never given the dog any of the medicine.
He added that Switalski's sentence was stiff.
© Copyright 2007 The Detroit News. All rights reserved.
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