MAYS LANDING – Following a guilty plea to third-degree animal cruelty, Kyle Blythe, 24, of Linwood was sentenced on Aug. 24 to 364 days in the Atlantic County Jail and five years of probation following his release.
Blythe was arrested and charged with animal cruelty following an investigation by the Linwood Police Department in December of 2020.
Police were contacted by staff at the Absecon Veterinary Hospital after Blythe’s 4-month-old Pitbull puppy, Dolce, was treated for severe head trauma and presented with numerous signs of blunt force trauma to her head and body. Dolce later died as a result of her injuries.
After a thorough investigation, police determined that Blythe had become angry with Dolce after she chewed up some of his clothing and then beat her, causing severe brain injuries which led to her death.
Blythe’s plea called for 364 days in county jail and a term of probation to be determined by the court at the time of sentencing. At the sentencing hearing, the state argued for the five-year term of probation, which is the maximum allowed by law. The Honorable Pamela D’Arcy, J.S.C. agreed and sentenced him to the five-year term which he must serve following Blythe’s release from county jail. Blythe will be required to complete community service and will not be permitted to own or co-domicile with any animals as a condition of his probation.
Citizens are urged to report any instances of animal abuse or neglect to their local police department. Each police department in Atlantic County has a designated Humane Law Enforcement Officer that has specialized training in identifying and investigating animal abuse and neglect. Animal abuse and neglect complaints can be made by calling your local police department’s non-emergency number and providing all relevant information to the department’s Human Law Enforcement Officer.