| John Garrett Burrow and Riley |
A soldier will be forced to carry a photo of a dog that he tortured and killed as part of his sentence for animal cruelty.
The soldier who was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, admitted in court that he tied up his puppy and tossed into a lake, where it drowned.
John Garrett Burrow, 24, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty. He apologized in court, saying: “I did love Riley. I did love that dog. I have no excuse.”
Authorities said the Burrow used a military parachute rope to tie up the 8-month-old lab mix named Riley. He tied the dog’s legs to its snout and threw it into the McFadyen Lake in Fayetteville, where it died.
People who learned of the despicable act, were outraged by the death of the dog.
Neighbors said that Burrow and his wife Caroline Kelsey, set up a GoFundMe page to collect money for the care of the dog after it suffered an injury to its leg.
However, instead of using the money to pay for the $2,500 surgery, Burrow killed it and claimed that it died during surgery.
However, after the dog’s body washed ashore, the couple was arrested.
Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons sentenced Burrow to 30 days in jail, 24 months of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service.
Ammons also ordered him to carry a photo of Riley in his wallet for the entire time he is on probation. Burrow will not be able to own a pet for five years as part of his guilty plea.
His wife, Caroline Kelsey, 22, was also charged in this case. She faces a charge of being an accessory after the fact.