SAN FERNANDO — A Valencia man was sentenced today to a year in county jail and 24 hours of animal cruelty counseling for the abuse of a cat found with its paws taped together.

Tyler Scott Vest, 23, was also ordered to serve three years on probation and was banned from owning, possessing or having direct access to animals for five years.

Vest pleaded no contest Jan. 13 to a misdemeanor count of cruelty to an animal and a felony count of possession for sale of a controlled substance.

Co-defendant Kylie Stringer, 27, of Canyon Country, pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count each of cruelty to an animal and possession of a controlled substance.

She was sentenced last month to 24 hours of animal abuse counseling and ordered to perform 15 days of community labor and serve three years on probation.

Stringer was also banned from owning, possessing or having direct access to animals for five years and ordered to undergo a minimum six-month drug treatment program.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested the two after heroin was found in their vehicle, which was parked near Sand Canyon and Soledad Canyon roads Jan. 9, according to prosecutors.

Deputy Adam Halloran told reporters he heard the sound of a cat in distress.

“I asked one of the suspects, ‘Is there a cat in the car?’ and she said yes,” Halloran said.

He said he found a cat carrier containing a feline that was upside-down. Her paws had each been individually taped with electrical tape, then both of the cat’s front and hind legs were bound together, the deputy said.

After deputies freed her, Animal Control officers took possession of the cat.