A Revere man pled guilty to animal cruelty charges Wednesday after abandoning his dog on the beach below the high-water mark last year, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
Elias Pacheco Osario, 27, pled guilty to a charge of animal cruelty by custodian and dog tethering/confining violation. He is accused of chaining his 50 lb. pit bull mix -- named "Killer" -- to an exposed steel rod at the edge of Short Beach on the afternoon of Aug. 29, 2021.
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Had the dog not been found, he could have drowned when the tide came in, Massachusetts State Police said.
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The steel rebar rod was protruding from the bottom of the ramp from Winthrop Parkway to Short Beach. There was also a large rock attached to the chain to prevent the dog from escaping, police said.
Fortunately, someone saw the dog and called police.
Pacheco Osario was sentenced to one year in jail, suspended for two years with conditions that he pay restitution and go through a rehabilitation program. He also cannot own any animals.
When he was arraigned, Pacheco Osario told NBC10 Boston through an interpreter that he was overwhelmed - he has a pregnant wife at home and the dog was fighting with his cat.
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“I did it because my mind was overwhelmed and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
He said his landlord wanted the dog out and that he tried to reach out to animal shelters.
“I can’t deal with this anymore. I don’t know what to do so I sent emails, called the shelter - they didn’t answer - to see if I can leave the dog there," Pacheco Osario said. "And that’s why (made) my decision of leaving it there and I left it with food. And I know I did wrong.”
