Man sentenced to prison after dog attacks cat

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- An elderly man found guilty of allowing his dog to maul a cat is headed to prison.

Hume Hamilton, 82, was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by two years of probation,Thursday morning.

In July, Hamilton was seen on surveillance video along the 900 block of South Andrews Avenue, walking a dog up a driveway where the cat was resting. When Hamilton's dog starts to viciously attack the cat, he uses his foot to step on the cat, trying to separate the two.

The cat died from its injuries.

Last month, a jury found Hamilton guilty of animal cruelty. "Now, we can move on," said the cat's owner, Wayne Spath. "We have closure now, justice has prevailed."

Spath was in court for Hamilton's sentencing. "That was a pet, my daughter found that cat as a kitten, had it for 12 years. That cat was 12 years as part of our family," said Spath.

The judge also told Hamilton that, when he gets out of prison, he is never allowed to own an animal again.

Hamilton is still facing a charge for battery in an unrelated incident.

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