Man Who Tortured Dog So Severely It Had To Be Put To Sleep Is Sent To Jail

A man has been sentenced to eight to 10 years after being convicted of abusing a dog so badly it had to be put to sleep.

Radoslaw Czerkawski, 37, was sentenced last week in Massachusetts, almost five years after the dog - which hit headlines under the name 'Puppy Doe' - was found abandoned.

Puppy Doe, a one-year-old female mixed pit bull was found in 2013 in a park starving with a stab wound to the eye, multiple fractures to her skull and spine and a split tongue.

She captured the hearts of thousands of social media users who demanded that her previous owner be found and charged.

Czerkawski was already in prison for unrelated convictions. He was handed a sentence of three to five years in 2015 for stealing more than a hundred thousand dollars from an elderly woman he was caring for.

Prosecutors had initially pushed for 10 to 15 years for the animal cruelty charges, but his defence argued for four-and-half to five.

The court heard Czerkawski had received threats and had been attacked while in prison.

He was found guilty of torturing and abandoning the dog - named Kiya - but was cleared of lying to police.

She said: "Today was a historic day for animal welfare in Massachusetts. With the conviction and sentencing of Radoslaw Czerkawski, it has been demonstrated that people who commit animal cruelty, and in this case extreme cruelty, will be held accountable.

"Ironically Puppy Doe's short and tragic life was the impetus for stronger laws protecting all animals in the Commonwealth and there's still more work to do."