A 26-year-old man plea pleaded no contest Monday to animal cruelty in the abuse of his 4-month-old Doberman puppy and agreed to receive counseling, complete community labor and not own or have access to any animals before a judge hands down a sentence next year.
Eljin Jermaul Holt made a conditional plea to both a felony and misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and sentencing was set for March 19.
Prosecutors said Holt dragged and yanked his dog, named Indie, causing the pup to bleed.
Investigators with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles received a call from a tipster who told them the dog’s nails were bleeding and Holt had yanked the leash hard enough to flip the puppy in mid-air.
Other witnesses said they heard the Doberman yelping and crying inside Holt’s apartment.
Personal videos and surveillance from apartment security cameras led the spcaLA to seize the dog for its protection, according to a statement issued by the nonprofit agency.
“Whether one incident of animal cruelty or 100, spcaLA believes all animals deserve equal protection under the law,” spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein said. “Violence begets violence; preventing cruelty to animals benefits all living beings in our community.”
If Holt completes 48 sessions of animal cruelty prevention counseling and completes 60 days of community labor, he can be sentenced to the misdemeanor count. If he fails to meet those conditions, Holt will be sentenced on the felony count.
The misdemeanor sentence would be three years probation and a 10-year prohibition on owning animals.
The felony count carries a one-year jail term plus three years probation and the prohibition on ownership.
–City News Service