DEDHAM (WHDH/AP) — A Massachusetts man accused of abusing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized was sentenced to prison Tuesday on animal cruelty charges nearly five years after the dog known as “Puppy Doe” was found abandoned near a playground.
Radoslaw Czerkawski, 37, of Quincy, has been sentenced to 8-10 years in prison after a jury found that the Polish immigrant stabbed, starved and beat the 1-year-old dog. He was also sentenced to two years’ probation and prohibited from owning or coming into contact with any animals.
The Commonwealth asked Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone to impose a sentence of 12-15 years. Czerkawski’s attorney asked Cannone to sentence the defendant to 4 ½ to 5 years in state prison.
“We felt that a substantial period of incarceration was warranted in light of the terrible nature of the abuse, the evidence that the abuse was ongoing for a significant period of time and the kind of injuries discovered in the investigation,” Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said. “The evidence of injury, in this case, was shocking.”
He was found guilty of torturing and abandoning the pit bull but cleared of lying to police. Czerkawski is already in prison on two unrelated larceny convictions.
The case received widespread attention when the year-old pit bull mix was found in Quincy in August 2013 with skull, spine and rib fractures, a stab wound to the right eye and a split tongue. Veterinarians determined the dog was too badly hurt to save.
Czerkawski’s attorney acknowledged his client owned the dog but said it ran away and someone else was responsible for the abuse.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)