BARRIE

A man who killed his girlfriend's six-month-old Pomeranian puppy because it urinated on the floor was sentenced Monday to perform 50 hours of community service and put on probation for a year.

Ryan Baklarz, 23, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for slamming Angel -- a fluff ball with big brown eyes -- on floor tiles.

"This was a nasty act and a cowardly act," Justice Glen Krelove said.

Court heard Baklarz was at the apartment of his girlfriend -- Ashley Berdan, 23, who is confined to a wheelchair -- and became jealous when the woman went on an errand with a friend.

When the dog urinated, he killed the pup. Baklarz put the carcass in a grocery bag and left the remains in front of the refrigerator.

He sent Berdan a text, saying: "I killed the dog."

As part of his sentence, Baklarz was ordered to get help for anger issues and to stay away from Berdan.

"I'm sorry," Baklarz said as he stood before the judge in track pants and a hoodie jacket. "It will never happen again."

Crown attorney Bhavna Bhangu said the "dog meant everything" to Berdan.

"I'm not sure how you get to the point in life where you can harm an innocent, loving animal," Bhangu said.

Outside of court, Berdan said she was horrified to come home and find the plastic bag containing the dead puppy.

"She was the sweetest little thing ever," Berdan said. "She was like a fluffy teddy bear."

Although the dog was sent to a coroner, Berdan never discovered the extent of its injuries and or obtained the remains for cremation.

"I would have liked to keep his ashes," she said, adding she still has bad dreams because of the ordeal.