An Ohio man who was charged with animal cruelty for shooting his son's 6-month-old dog with a pellet rifle has plead guilty on what was to be the day of his trial. Benjamin Lovejoy also plead guilty to discharging a firearm, using a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing. Four other counts were dismissed.
Lovejoy has admitted to shooting the puppy, Emily, twice, hitting her with 90 pellets that fractured her front leg in three places. She was left to bleed to death, but someone called 911 and police were able to get her to an emergency clinic. Lovejoy reportedly did it because he was angry with his son and his son's mother. Because the son was close to the puppy, he shot her. Emily was recovering from her injuries, but tragically, her brief, tortured life was cut short when she was struck by a car on June 2 while in foster care.
The prosecutor is taking the case very seriously and is asking for one year in jail, in addition to what he has already served. To show your support for the prosecution and urge the judge to sentence Lovejoy to the full extent of the law, including a prohibition from future contact with any animals and mandatory psychiatric treatment, write:
The Honorable Judge Lauren C. Moore
Cleveland Municipal Court
The Justice Center
1200 Ontario Street, 14th Floor
Cleveland, OH 44113 Case UpdatesA man was sentenced to 18 months in jail for shooting his son's puppy because he was angry that the boy's mother wouldn't wake up the 12-year-old for a visit.
"You are an unstable human being," Cleveland Municipal Judge Lauren Moore told Benjamin Lovejoy on Wednesday. "You are a menace to society. You are a menace to your family. You are a menace to all things living."
Assistant City Prosecutor Jaclyn Shultz had asked for a one-year sentence. Moore convicted Lovejoy last month after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, having a weapon while intoxicated, discharging a firearm and aggravated menacing.
Animal advocates posted details about the case on the Internet, and Moore received more than 100 letters from pet lovers, some from as far away as Great Britain.
Angry that ex-girlfriend Jennifer Montemarano wouldn't wake their son at 10 p.m. on April 4, Lovejoy went across the street to his home and shot the 6-month-old Labrador retriever-chow mix named Emily twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, authorities said.
Lovejoy, 30, then called Montemarano's cell phone and said: "Someone's gonna die tonight � I just shot the dog."
Police arrested Lovejoy at his home. The boy found his dog on his father's basement floor and wrapped her in a blanket.
The dog was saved by surgery but died earlier this month after being hit by a car.
"Your son will never forgive you," Montemarano told Lovejoy in court.
Defense attorney Joseph Morse blamed Lovejoy's actions on an alcohol problem. Lovejoy apologized for the dog's wounds, but claimed the gun discharged when he dropped it. | Source: Dayton Daily News - June 29, 2006
Update posted on Jun 30, 2006 - 12:34AM |
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