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Irving Man Sentenced for Throwing Puppy from Balcony
Last Edited: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 12:33 PM CDT
Created: Monday, 11 Aug 2008, 12:24 PM CDT
A judge on Monday sentenced an Irving man to prison for throwing his pit bull puppy from a balcony and then tossing the injured but alive canine into a trash bin.
Michael Soto pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony charge of animal cruelty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Irving police arrested Soto, 24, shortly after the August 2007 incident in which witnesses said he threw the puppy, named Annie, from the balcony of his second-floor apartment at the Summerwood Apartments and then tossed her into a trash bin.
Irving Animal Services rescued the puppy and brought her to a veterinarian for surgery before she was transferred to Operation Kindness in Carrollton.
Annie underwent hip surgery and showed signs of recovery but later died from complications.
Soto will receive credit for the time he has already served incarcerated but will have to serve half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to a police department news release.