Judge makes sure this man won’t soon forget the puppy he murdered

Two years ago, Fort Bragg Spc. John Garrett Burrow cruelly drowned his puppy in order to dodge some unforeseen vet bills.

In 2014, the 8-month-old Lab/Shepherd mix broke his leg, an injury that would cost Burrow and his wife $2,500 to treat. Without the funds, Burrow, a paratrooper, decided to take the matter into his own hands. Using military parachute chord, he tied the puppy’s hind and front legs to his muzzle and dumped in McFadyen Lake in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Because of his monstrous act, Burrow was charged with felony cruelty, and two years later, Riley finally got justice when his murderer plead guilty. Burrow’s wife has also been charged with being an accessory to this heinous crime, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

In order to remind Burrow of the puppy he slaughtered, one that should’ve led the life of a happy and loved family pet, Judge Jim Ammons ordered Burrow to keep a photo of Riley in his wallet during his two-year probation. Additionally, he will spend 30 days in jail and do 100 hours of community service, possibly cleaning out cages at the local shelter, should the organization allow it.

He will also likely lose his Army career, dismissed on a “general or other-than-honorable discharge,” according to the story.

“I want you to remember Riley the way Riley was in full life,” Ammons told Burrow, reports the Fayetteville Observer. “I don’t do this lightly. What you did was horrible, absolutely horrible, and there are consequences to pay for that.”

The article also reports that Burrow and his wife have shown remorse since the incident, apologizing and shedding tears. He’s also accepted that the stress surrounding the situation may have caused his wife to miscarry.

“I have no excuse,” Burrow said, according to the article. “I accept responsibility, and I have learned from my mistakes.”

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He also added, “I love dogs and I always have.”

The couple had supposedly tried to raise money for Riley’s surgery by setting up a GoFundMe page. But the funds remained insufficient, and according to testimonies, they lied about the puppy’s whereabouts after the murder. Alleged stories include claims that Riley had died during surgery, and that he had run away.

Although the Burrows’ were in a tough financial situation and seem to regret their actions, it is impossible for any animal lover to imagine being desperate enough to cruelly kill an innocent puppy.

“Drowning an animal is just senseless,” said Sheriff Moose Butler in an earlier article by the Fayetteville Observer. “There’s no justifying that kind of senseless cruelty.”

Likewise, Judge Ammons can’t get his head around such widespread incidents of animal cruelty. “We have way too many of these cases right now, and I don’t know the cause…,” he said in the publication’s more recent story. “It’s frustrating, but it also makes me hope that maybe the public is getting the message that animals need to be treated humanely.”

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To adhere to the law, judges can only dole out so much sentencing for certain crimes. Working within these parameters, this makes some animal-advocating judges creative. (Remember Judge Cicconetti, who sentenced an abuser to time in a garbage heap?)

While Burrow’s sentence may seem light, we think Judge Ammons is trying to use Burrows’ own guilt as punishment. He’ll feel a pang every time he sees the picture of Riley’s sweet face in his wallet–at least, for the next two years of his probation.

What do you think about Burrow’s punishment?

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(h/t: The Fayetteville Observer)

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