Jury Convicts Wis. Man Of Fatally Kicking Pet Dog
WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) -- A jury has convicted a Waukesha County man of fatally kicking his pet dog in front of his children.
Jurors on Monday found 54-year-old Michael Tessmer of the town of Oconomowoc guilty of causing mental harm to a child and mistreatment of animals, causing death.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Tessmer faces up to nine years in prison when he is sentenced May 9.
Tessmer was accused of kicking the dog 10 times on Feb. 28, 2009. The 3-year-old dog, named Zorro, died the next day.
According to the complaint, Tessmer became angry when he returned home with the children and found the dog had urinated and defecated on the floor.
The defense contended that Tessmer never intended to kill the dog.
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