Man gets 2 years for taping dog's mouth shut....should be longer, but YAY!
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/3189038
;) Should have been longer! :mad:
Man gets 2 years for taping dog's mouth shut
Associated Press
DENTON — A man convicted of animal cruelty for taping a dog's mouth shut was sentenced to two years in state jail on Wednesday.
The Labrador retriever named "Bull" had to be put to death after suffering a heat stroke in July.
In addition to the two-year sentence, a Denton County jury also fined Richard Swift, 43, of The Colony, $5,000. The two-year sentence was the maximum for the charge.
Investigators initially said the man taped the dog's mouth shut to prevent it from barking. Experts say taping a dog's mouth shut prevents the animal from panting, which helps it stay cool.
Swift had previous convictions for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and assault causing bodily injury.
Prosecutors said Swift wasn't eligible for probation because he once had his probation revoked after testing positive for drugs.
The dog belonged to Swift's brother, Rodney, who said Wednesday he disagreed with the verdict. He had testified that his brother was a lifelong animal lover who would never intentionally hurt a dog.
