Man Who Beat Puppy To Death In South Jersey Sentenced: Prosecutor

LINWOOD, NJ — A Linwood man was sentenced to one year in Atlantic County Jail after beating his puppy to death for chewing up his clothes, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

Kyle Blythe, 24, previously pleaded guilty to third-degree animal cruelty, Prosecutor William E. Reynolds said. Blythe was sentenced to 364 days in jail and five years of probation after his release, in which time he will have to complete community service and will not be allowed to own or live with any animals, Reynolds said. The five-year period is the maximum allowed by law.

In Dec. 2020, Absecon Veterinary Staff contacted police after Blythe's 4-month-old Pitbull puppy, Dolce, was treated for severe head trauma, Reynolds said. Dolce showed "numerous signs" of blunt force trauma to her head and body, and later died from her injuries, Reynolds said.

An investigation by Linwood police determined that Blythe had become angry with the dog after she chewed up some of his clothing and then beat her, which caused the severe brain injuries that killed her, Reynolds said.

Reynolds urged citizens to report any instances of animal abuse or neglect to their local police department. Each Atlantic County police department 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.