CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man will be spending time in state prison for killing a dog.
Ralph Thomas Brown III, 29, pleaded guilty during colloquy court Monday to cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, loitering/prowling at night time and public drunkenness.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to nine months to three years in state prison. This sentence will run consecutive to a probation violation of six months to one year in jail that he received in March.
The charges stem from an incident in Clearfield Borough Feb. 2 when Brown killed a four-month-old pit bull/terrier mix puppy by strangling it and kicking it. For the full story, click here.
Ammerman commented that people in the community were very upset with Brown and many people were talking about this case.
Ammerman said he heard more about this than he had heard about any other case, including those involving serious child abuse.
He also noted that Brown had to be kept in isolation at the jail to protect him. There was a fear he would be harmed by the other inmates for his treatment of the animal, he said.
Brown’s attorney, Curtis Irwin, asked the judge, prior to sentencing, to take into consideration that Brown had both alcohol and drugs in his system at the time of the assault.
He pointed out that Brown has been cooperative throughout the investigation. He stated Brown is not violent, and this is not something “he has a predisposition to do.”
Brown addressed the court explaining he had been accused of another crime and this led him to drugs and alcohol to deal with that. He said he drank excessively that night and does not have a recollection of the incident. He apologized and admitted his actions were “pretty outrageous.”
In a related case, the owner of the dog, Angela Ricketts, 31, pleaded guilty for neglecting to properly dispose of the dog in March. She was ordered to pay fines and costs totaling $141.50.