Man sentenced in 'Puppy Doe' animal cruelty case

A Massachusetts man convicted of abusing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized was sentenced Tuesday on animal cruelty charges nearly five years after the dog known as "Puppy Doe" was found abandoned near a playground.

Radoslaw Czerkawski, 37, has been sentenced to 8-10 years in prison.

He was found guilty of torturing and abandoning the pit bull, but cleared of lying to police.

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The case received widespread attention when the 1-year-old pit bull mix was found in Quincy in August 2013 with skull, spine and rib fractures, a stab wound to the right eye and a split tongue. Veterinarians determined the dog was too badly hurt to save.

Czerkawski's attorney acknowledged his client owned the dog but said it ran away and someone else was responsible for the abuse.

As part of the court proceedings, DNA from the dog was introduced and used as evidence -- a first for the Massachusetts legal system.

“We now have admitted a tool into our court system that we can use science in a way to protect animals that we have never been able to do before," Martha Smith-Blackmore of Forensic Veterinary Investigations LLC, said.

Czerkawski is already in prison on two unrelated larceny convictions, his animal cruelty sentence will begin when the current sentence is over.

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Associated Press