Judge orders state jail sentence for dog beater

A San Antonio man who severely beat and neglected his wife's 4-year-old female Labrador retriever was sentenced Monday to 18 months in a state jail facility.

Joe Anthony Rabago, 32, pleaded no contest in June to nonlivestock animal cruelty for the beating one year earlier that left the dog — described by witnesses as “beautiful” and “harmless” — with a broken back and broken ribs.

Cruelty to animals is punishable by up to two years of incarceration. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to ask state District Judge Raymond Angelini for no more than 18 months. Defense attorney Donald Mach sought deferred adjudication probation.

“It's a pretty serious deal,” prosecutor David Lunan said. “I haven't ever seen a case where someone took their anger out purposefully on their dog — a dog he claimed to have loved.”

According to police reports, two witnesses who claimed to be longtime friends of Rabago said they saw him pick up the unnamed dog and throw it down a flight of stairs. They said Rabago also repeatedly kicked, punched and spat on the pet.

“It's my dog, don't worry about it,” Rabago told the witnesses, according to police. “I could do whatever I want with my dog.”

The friends later removed the dog from a bedroom in Rabago's West Side home where they saw it eating its feces. They called authorities.

When police arrived, Rabago said he was supposed to be watching the dog for his wife and admitted to the abuse, court documents state. He told police he picked up the dog, slammed it on the ground and threw it down stairs.

An animal cruelty specialist said the canine's injuries were severe enough that it needed to be euthanized a week later.

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