US Army soldier John Burrow is not going to forget that he drowned his eight-month-old puppy dog after an unusual order by a judge.
Burrow, a 24-year-old Specialist based at Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the world, in North Carolina, was told by Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons to keep a photograph of the dog, Riley, in his wallet while on two years’ probation.
Burrow pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty for tying Riley’s feet to his snout with military parachute cord and tossing the dog into MacFadyen Pond in the city of Fayetteville, NC, in November 2014, FOX13 reported.
The body of the dog, a mixed Labrador Retriever/German Shepherd, washed ashore in January 2015.
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READ NOWBurrow was sentenced to an immediate 30 days in jail and 100 hours of community service, which could be served cleaning out cages at Cumberland County Animal Control if officials agree.
Under the sentencing agreement, the felony conviction will be struck from Burrow’s record if he successfully completes its terms.
Burrow was also convicted of a misdemeanour for failing to provide proper medical treatment to Riley’s injured leg, and sentenced to 20 days in jail and five years of unsupervised probation.
“I have no excuse,” the Fayetteville Observer reported Burrow as saying. “I accept responsibility, and I have learned from my mistakes.”
He added that the stress the incident may have caused his wife, Kelsey, to miscarry. A charge of accessory after the fact is pending against Burrow’s wife.
Burrow’s neighbours said they were outraged by Riley’s death after giving Burrow and his wife hundreds of dollars after the pair claimed the dog had been injured and they couldn’t afford to pay veterinary bills, WRAL reported.
Burrow is also banned from owning another pet for five years.