Holly Boyd, Chihuahua killer, sentenced to 45 days in jail

By Jessica Lussenhop Tue., Nov. 29 2011 at 3:08 PM

Categories: Animals

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Holly Boyd admitted she killed her chihuahua puppy.

A local dog-killing case that infuriated animal lovers around the world finally came to a close, when Holly Boyd was sentenced today in the gruesome death of her chihuahua puppy.

The description of the puppy's death was so violent that an online petition and a Facebook group sprang up asking that Boyd get the maximum sentence. The decision an Anoka County judge handed down today will likely disappoint many signees.

On March 24, after Boyd got into a fight with her boyfriend, the Anoka police advised him to take a walk. Shortly after he'd left, the tiny chihuahua puppy the couple had just bought hours earlier peed on Boyd's leg. Boyd picked it up and slung it at a dresser so hard, the animal ruptured its bowels and fractured its skull in several places. Boyd conveyed the news to her boyfriend via text: "The dogs killed it also broke its neck I think."

A tear-jerker from the Facebook group Maximum Penalty for Holly Boyd.

After initially telling cops that the dog had bumped into a coffee table and that she'd sue them if they arrested her, Boyd pleaded guilty to the felony mistreatment of animals charge in September.

A petition started online asked Judge Donald Venne to hand Boyd the maximum sentence. It's collected 3,462 signatures and was delivered to the prosecuting attorney in the case.

Instead, Boyd got 45 days and a window to avoid serving any time at all if she enrolls in therapy within two weeks of her sentencing. The judge expressed major concern over Boyd's mental health. She'll be under supervised probation for three years.

During that time, of course, she is not to own any pets.

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