PORTAGE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man accused of killing a woman's puppy with a hammer has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
Thirty-two-year-old Brandon Shearer, of Portage, learned his sentence on Friday. He pleaded no contest in May to the mistreatment of an animal causing death, disorderly conduct and contacting a victim after a domestic abuse arrest. A no contest plea isn't an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
Prosecutors allege that Shearer killed the 6-month-old dog with a roofing hammer because he was upset it had urinated and defecated in the woman's house.
A judge set several sentencing conditions for Shearer, including that he serve four years of probation, comply with treatment programs, undergo anger management counseling and maintain "absolute sobriety."
