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Man who slit puppies' throats gets jail time

'If the cuts were a quarter-of-an-inch deeper, the puppies would have bled to death.'

MANSFIELD, Ohio -- A 38-year-old Mansfield man was sentenced Wednesday to three years and four months in prison for injuring four puppies.

Christopher Vandenberg pleaded no contest in November to four counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals, all fifth-degree felonies.

Richland County Common Pleas Judge Brent Robinson gave Vandenberg close to the maximum prison term of four years.

Mansfield police were called to Vandenberg's West Fifth Street residence on Aug. 30. The throats of a trio of 3-month-old puppies were cut. A fourth had a broken leg.

"If the cuts were a quarter-of-an-inch deeper, the puppies would have bled to death," Assistant Prosecutor Amanda James said.

James said prosecutors were asking for a "substantial" prison term.

Robinson also ordered Vandenberg to make $2,203 in restitution to the Humane Society of Richland County for the care of the pit-bull mixes. All have recovered and have been adopted.

Vandenberg appeared in court with long, flowing red hair and a full beard. His green-and-white jail jumpsuit indicated he was a minimum-security inmate.

In reviewing the facts of the case, Robinson noted the abuse to the puppies followed Vandenberg's argument with his wife.

"He did threaten to kill himself by overdosing on prescription drugs," the judge said.

Defense attorney David Watson said the incident went deeper than that and lobbied for his client to receive treatment.

"He has had untreated mental-health issues for awhile," Watson said.

Watson said Vandenberg expressed remorse and had little memory of what he did.

"He was actually mortified about some of the facts," the defense attorney said. "He is not a violent individual. This was a one-time incident.

"This is not him. He was so desperate that he wanted to kill himself."

Vandenberg briefly addressed the court, saying he was "extremely sorry."

"It's not something that has ever happened before," he said. "I had a mental breakdown."

Robinson said Vandenberg had reported taking 20 Xanax pills the night before and 27 more pills and heroin the day of the offenses.

"A lot of his issues revolve around illegal drugs," the judge said.

In his pre-sentence investigation, Vandenberg revealed he first tried alcohol and marijuana at the age of 5, cocaine at 16 and heroin at 18.

His history of drug convictions goes back to 1997. He later went to prison after violating probation on a burglary charge. While in prison, he was written up three times for having homemade alcohol.

"It seems like he self-medicates with anything and everything," Robinson said.

The judge rejected the notion that Vandenberg blacked out and didn't remember hurting the puppies.

"Those tend to be hard for the court to believe," Robinson said.

Robinson said he viewed the suicide attempt as Vandenberg being "desperate for attention."

In giving Vandenberg a prison sentence, the judge said his offenses were comparable to injuring children or the elderly.

"There really is no difference than harming the most vulnerable members of society," Robinson said.

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Source: Mansfield News Journal

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