BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Friday, a Grand Island man was sentenced on charges for killing a dog.
Brian Cline, 43, was given five years probation. In November, Cline pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, a class "E" felony.
Prosecutors allege Cline intentionally hit and kicked a toy poodle in March of 2020 at a home on Baseline Road in the Town of Grand Island. The owner found the dog dead in its crate the next morning.
A neighbor gave Erie County Sheriff's Office deputies their home surveillance footage after hearing about the dog's death. The footage showed Cline striking and kicking the animal.
A necropsy determined the dog died from blunt force trauma.
Erie County Court Judge Susan Egan issued an order that prohibits Cline from owning an animal for five years in addition to a no-contact order of protection on behalf of the owner of the toy poodle that remains in effect until 2030.
