OC Parolee Convicted Of Swinging, Throwing Puppy By Leash
SANTA ANA (AP) — An Orange County parolee has been convicted of lassoing an 8-pound puppy with a leash, swinging it by the neck and throwing it during an argument with his girlfriend in a Walmart parking lot.
The District Attorney's Office said Thursday that 57-year-old Verne Strong of Newport Beach pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of animal abuse by a caretaker.
He was sentenced to 317 days in jail, for which he received credit for time served, three years probation and must pay restitution to the animal shelter that took in the eight-month-old chihuahua-dachshund puppy.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Strong's girlfriend, Angel Marie Holmes, on a charge that she lied about the incident.
Strong also kicked and slapped the puppy, which has since recovered.
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