Monterey County DA’s Office: Man given maximum sentence for dog’s traumatic death, domestic violence

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) A Monterey County man has been sentenced to three years in jail, the maximum possible punishment, for animal cruelty and domestic violence, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

The white Pomeranian dog was seen at the Monterey Peninsula Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center on July 30, 2018 with significant bruises and swelling to the left leg and abdomen. The dog also had hemorrhaging in its left eye. The DA's Office said 29-year-old Aaron O'Hare told the vet that he fell on the dog when he got tangled up in the leash. The dog was treated and released.

On Aug. 6, the dog was brought in to see the vet again and was unable to walk. O'Hare said he smacked it on the nose when it urinated on the floor.

On Aug. 7, 2018, the SPCA got a tip that O'Hare was abusing the dog. It died on Aug. 11.

A necropsy was performed after the dog died, and they found that it had six broken ribs in various stages of healing, two dislocated hips, bleeding in the brain, a hemorrhaged liver and its spine was dislocated from the scull.

The DA's Office said the injuries were the result of multiple episodes of blunt force trauma and potentially shaking over two weeks. Investigators found that the cause of death was secondary shock to traumatic injury that led to bleeding around the brain and in the abdomen.

When the dog's owner found out that O'Hare had been arrested in connection to the dog's death, she reported being abused by him and the DA's Office filed misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

The executive director of the Monterey YWCA said that pet abuse can be an indicator of possible domestic abuse. She said some women delay getting help out of fear that the abuser will hurt their pets.

The dog's owner wrote the court a victim impact statement describing her loss:

“Kitty had been registered as my emotional support dog for PTSD since 2015. She was a 13- pound white Pomeranian/American Eskimo mix. The fact that O’Hare slowly killed her right under my nose still keeps me up at night. She was so incredibly tough…If these injuries had happened to anyone of us, we would be writhing in pain. If anyone had inflicted these injuries on a human being, and not a dog, the punishment would also be much more severe. Kitty suffered for a week with a broken neck and multiple broken bones before she died. He still continuously abused her even though she was already dying. The only thing that brings me the slightest amount of peace with this, is that if Kitty hadn’t died, he (O’Hare) would potentially still be in my life. A number of studies have linked the abuse of animals and violence against people. Animal abuse is a
severe indicator of serious problems. I have a daily reminder of this as Kitty sits cremated in a box, on a shelf in my living room. My dog ultimately saved my life by sacrificing hers.”