A year in jail, a fine of up to $20,000 and probation may await an East Palo Alto man whose pit bull dog on February 9 mauled a 12-year-old pet cat in Menlo Park. The cat was later euthanized because of its severe injuries.
Anthony Makoni, 19, pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty charges in a February 15 pre-trial conference, said Deputy District Attorney Morris Maya, who handles such cases in the county. “It’s essentially a guilty plea,” said Mr. Maya.
A post-mortem exam of the cat revealed injuries “very consistent with those of a dog attack,” said Scott Delucchi, spokesman for the Peninsula Humane Society.
Mr. Makoni’s dog, an unaltered male, is in custody and will likely be “humanely euthanized,” said Mr. Delucchi.
Mr. Makoni admitted that he unleashed his dog in the presence of the cat, implying that he “had an expectation that the dog would attack the cat,” said Mr. Maya.
At the scene, on Madera Avenue in Belle Haven, arresting officer Eric Dias of the Menlo Park Police Department said Mr. Makoni and a companion were watching the incident with “big smiles on their faces.”
A probation report is being prepared for Mr. Makoni and may include conditions that prohibit him from living with or acting as a guardian of animals, said Mr. Maya.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29, said Mr. Maya.
A fine and jail sentence for Mr. Makoni would be “as positive an ending as we could expect in such a heinous act of animal cruelty,” said Ken White, the president of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.
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