BATTLE CREEK (WKZO-AM) — A Battle Creek man who beat a dog with an aluminum baseball bat then shot it with a pellet gun back in February now faces a possible prison sentence for animal torture and cruelty.
David Hursley, 55, claims he hit the dog with the bat because it kept attacking his friend, then shot it with the pellet gun to put it out of its misery. Prosecutors contended he was drunk and killed the dog because he didn’t like it.
A neighbor on Bennett Street called police. An officer had to put the dog down because it was badly injured and in pain.
A jury found Hursley guilty late Wednesday afternoon of a felony torture charge. Because he has an extensive criminal record, he could get up to 15 years when he is sentenced on Oct. 28.
