Philadelphia Inquirer: Man gets prison for killing guide dog

[Karen Dawn]

(The Philadelphia Inquirer takes letters at:
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Philadelphia Inquirer
May 6, 2003 Tuesday CITY-D EDITION

 PHILADELPHIA; Pg. B03

 Man gets prison for killing guide dog

 By Keith Herbert; Inquirer Staff Writer

A Montgomery County judge sentenced a blind man to prison yesterday for
kicking his guide dog "Inky" to death a year ago.

Judge Paul W. Tressler ordered Craig S. Miller, 43, formerly of Lansdale, to
serve four to 23 1/2 months in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
Miller also will have to pay $1,000 to the Leader Dogs organization, which
trained Inky, a black Labrador, to be a guide dog.

Miller's personal problems, including depression, a troubled home life,
alcohol and drug use, weren't excuses for his conduct, Tressler said.

By kicking Inky to death, Miller prevented another blind person from having
the benefit of a service dog, Tressler said.

"That's what upsets me most," Tressler said. "If you didn't want the dog,
why didn't you just give it back? You took somebody else's sight."

Tressler could have imposed a sentence of probation because Miller had no
previous criminal convictions. Miller, who once ran for mayor in Lansdale
but who now lives in Georgia, is free on bail for 30 days while he appeals
the sentence.

Miller made an emotional speech to the judge before sentencing.

"I'm so sorry that this has brought so much attention and brought so many
people to the point that they were outraged," Miller said.

The dog's death drew attention from animal-rights activists. The public
outcry prompted lawmakers in Harrisburg to enact legislation last year that
made the harming of a guide animal a third-degree felony with a maximum jail
term of seven years.

Joe Sikora of Bristol, who is blind and uses a guide dog, attended
yesterday's hearing. He said he wanted a sentence to reflect the loss of a
special dog. "I wanted the maximum," Sikora said. "I wanted the proceedings
to show the damage that was done beyond Inky."

Ann Chynoweth, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States in
Washington, said her group followed the case closely and wrote a letter to
prosecutors in support of a stiff sentence.

"We're certainly pleased that there's some accountability in this case of
violent animal cruelty," Chynoweth said in an interview.

Miller said he had waited 20 years to receive a guide dog like Inky, and was
remorseful over his death.

"My life will never be the same," Miller said.

Miller was found guilty of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, during a bench
trial in February. Miller testified that the dog's fatal injuries were an
accident. Miller said Inky collapsed after he walked home from a bar with
the dog. When he knelt down to check on Inky, Miller said, his knees
"bounced off" the dog.

But prosecutors said Miller kicked the dog so violently that it bled to
death. Police said they found blood around Miller's home.

Veterinarian Jenny Witthoff performed an autopsy on the dog and found that
Inky died from multiple blunt-force trauma and a ruptured spleen.

Miller first denied abusing the dog, but about a week after the dog's death
he confessed to kicking Inky because he was frustrated.

Contact staff writer Keith Herbert at 610-313-8007 or
keithherbert at phillynews.com