CLEVELAND — A Northeast Ohio man has been sentenced to 60 days in prison for the 2021 killing of his girlfriend's dog.
According to officials within the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, Phillip Savelli of Mentor was sentenced Wednesday morning by Judge Michael P Shaughnessy to two months in jail and three years of probation. Additionally, the Mentor man will never be able to own a companion animal again.
In June of 2021, Savelli was arrested in Highland Heights and charged in the Cuyahoga County court system for three counts of cruelty to a companion animal. At the time, the Mentor man was accused of drowning his girlfriend's dog, Coco, as well as putting the yorkie in the freezer to die. Security footage of the incident was turned over to the police during the investigation.
Savelli originally plead not guilty during pretrial in June, but later changed his plea once the trial began in mid-December.
Under the terms of his sentencing, Savelli is also required to register with the Cuyahoga County Animal Abuse Registry.
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