A Westmoreland County man was sentenced to state prison for abusing a dog so badly that it was paralyzed.
On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Zachary Hixson of Mount Pleasant to up to 60 months in prison, after he pleaded guilty in June to two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, neglect and animal cruelty.
Hixson must also undergo a mental health evaluation, and he cannot own an animal for 14 years.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors played video of the abuse taken by Hixson and read a victim impact statement from the dog’s owner.
Hixson punched, kicked and choked Snickers, a 10-year-old shih tzu, while living in his girlfriend’s South Huntingdon Township home in 2024, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office says. Snickers was unable to walk after suffering a broken spine.
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