South Shore man pleads guilty to animal cruelty for killing dog after attempted OD fails

PLYMOUTH – A Kingston man pleaded guilty to charges related to victimizing and fatally stabbing his dog, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's office

Jonathan Paluzzi, 45, was sentenced to five to seven years in state prison on Thursday, Dec. 19, after pleading guilty in Plymouth Superior Court to two counts each of animal cruelty and intimidation of a witness.   

Under Massachusetts law, seven years is the maximum jail sentence for animal cruelty.

Paluzzi was accused of giving his 6-year-old English bull terrier, “Brutus,” fentanyl on Jan. 31 of this year with the intention of killing him. Paluzzi then fatally stabbed Brutus with grill prongs once he realized the terrier had not succumbed to a drug overdose.

Background: 'Pure hell': Kingston man accused of killing dog is sent for an evaluation

State crime lab testing confirmed the man's dog had fentanyl in his system.

According to the DA’s office, Paluzzi wanted to have the dog euthanized, but veterinarians would not do so since Brutus was in relatively good health.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Jonathan Paluzzi sentenced in animal cruelty charge in death of dog