HONOLULU (AP) - A Hawaii man who was recaptured after fleeing the state was sentenced to a year in prison for severely abusing a dog, officials said.
Steven Boos received the longest sentence for second-degree cruelty to animals due to the severity of the animal’s injuries, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday.
The dog suffered head trauma, pelvic fractures and other wounds that required the amputation of a hind leg and implantation of a metal plate, authorities said.
Boos pleaded no contest to abusing his then-girlfriend’s dog in 2017.
He received a sentence of 30 days in prison that he was scheduled to begin serving in July 2018.
Authorities said he fled to the mainland United States and was recaptured and extradited to Hawaii following an anonymous tip to the Hawaiian Humane Society.
Boos said he received death threats following news of his conviction.
Boos told a judge he simply played too rough with the dog named Tulip and did not mean to harm the pet.
“I know everything that I did with her every day was excessive,” Boos said, adding that he grew up in sports and plays rough.
“I know what I did with Tulip. I know that you play with a bigger dog like this,” Boos said. “Never have I hurt my dog on purpose.”
District Court Judge Myron Takemoto said during sentencing that Boos didn’t do anything to demonstrate remorse.
“Playing soccer with a 6-pound (2.7-kilogram) dog, that’s ridiculous,” the judge said.
Boos didn’t acknowledge beating the dog. Instead, he said it fell off a couch, got hit by a car or was accidentally sat or stepped upon, Deputy Prosecutor Jan Futa said.
Daniel Roselle, director of community relations for the Hawaiian Human Society, said the judge clearly did not find the statement by Boos to be believable and that the society is grateful for the message sent by the sentence.
“Everybody knows how to treat animals,” Roselle said. “For us this is a remarkable sentence from the judge.”
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