- New Jersey, USA -
Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds announced that following a guilty plea to third-degree animal cruelty, 24-years-old KYLE A. BLYTHE (pictured) was sentenced on August 24, 2022, to 364 days in the Atlantic County Jail and five years of probation following his release.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Pamela D’Arcy also ordered BLYTHE to complete community service and to not own or co-domicile with any animals as a condition of his probation.
Reynolds said that the five-year term of probation is the maximum allowed by law.
On December 10, 2020, BLYTHE, of Linwood, was arrested and charged with third-degree animal cruelty as a result of an investigation by the Linwood Police Department.
According to a news release by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, staff at the Absecon Veterinary Hospital contacted the police after they treated BLYTHE’s dog, for severe head trauma.
The furbaby, a 4-month-old female Pitbull puppy named Dolce (Italian for sweet), “presented with numerous signs of blunt force trauma to her head and body”, stated the release.
Sadly, Dolce later died due to the atrocious injuries inflicted on her.
An investigation revealed that BLYTHE “had become angry with Dolce after she chewed up some of his clothing and then beat her, causing severe brain injuries which led to her death.”
According to an article by Breaking AC published on December 18, 2020, the affidavit stated that BLYTHE did not seek medical treatment for Dolce after he beat her, instead, he dropped her at a friend’s home.
Breaking AC identified BLYTHE’s friend as Colby Patroni, who at the time was 19 years old and was working at the Absecon Veterinary Hospital while going to Stockton University full time.
When Patroni lived in Maryland, she was an ASPCA volunteer.
Patroni said she thought she was helping a friend with a sick puppy and said: “At first, I thought she was scared because she was in a strange place without her owner.”
But then Dolce started throwing up blood so she said she rushed the furbaby to her job to get help. According to Patroni, once at the hospital, she learned what was really wrong with the pup.
She said: “The doctor said the dog had major trauma, bleeding in her lungs, behind her eyes, in her brain and suffered two fractured ribs.”
The vet asked Patroni what had happened to Dolce and she was not able to answer so she called BLYTHE who told her two different stories.
Patroni was not criminally charged but when she returned to work the following day, she was fired for involvement with an animal cruelty case.
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Pictures shared from Breaking AC
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