OKOLONA, Miss. (AP) - A man accused of dragging his dog by the neck behind his pickup truck won’t serve any jail time.
Media outlets report Chickasaw County Sheriff Jim Myers says 70-year-old Willie Davis entered a no-contest plea Wednesday. Davis was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a judge suspended a six-month sentence.
Deputies arrested Davis after a video showing his dog named Champ being dragged behind a truck was posted last month on social media. He faced a misdemeanor aggravated animal cruelty charge.
WTVA-TV (https://bit.ly/1qsTUJI ) reports Davis and his attorney didn’t comment on the sentencing.
The case has drawn attention to Mississippi’s penalties concerning domestic animal cruelty. Several officials say they’d like to see legislators change the charge to a felony.
Champ is recovering under the care of a Tupelo veterinarian.
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This story has been corrected to fix dog’s name to “Champ” throughout.
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