Judge allows probation for Santa Rosa man who cut dog’s throat

A Santa Rosa man who slashed his dog’s throat and left it for dead in a local creek was allowed to avoid jail at his sentencing Monday.

Ramiro Ramirez, 34, was instead given three years’ probation and 90 days on work-release or electronic home confinement.

Ramirez claims he was merely trying to end his elderly pet’s suffering when he bound its legs and muzzle with tape and cut its throat. He couldn’t afford to have it euthanized by a veterinarian, he said.

But the black lab named Shadow did not immediately die. Passers-by heard it whining and called for help. Police later traced the dog to Ramirez through a microchip implanted in its body.

Ramirez last month pleaded guilty to a felony animal cruelty charge.

In court Monday, Judge Dana Simonds - a longtime dog breeder who has been known to bring pets into the courtroom - showed leniency, citing Ramirez’s remorse and lack of a criminal record.

But she expressed concern over Ramirez’s choice, saying it was “clearly not the correct way” to dispatch a sick animal.

“I agree with you, your honor,” said an emotional Ramirez. “I was desperate at the time.”

Under her sentence, Ramirez will also perform 100 hours of community service.

Animal advocates, including some who attended the hearing with “Justice for Shadow” stickers on their lapels, said the punishment was too light.

“We’re disappointed,” said Bob Edwards, a member of Animal Defenders of Sonoma County.

Prosecutors also sought more time. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Brockley said his office was seeking a 200-day jail sentence.

He questioned Ramirez’s explanation for why he tried to kill the dog. If Ramirez was broke, he could have had the dog euthanized for free, Brockley said.

But that didn’t appear to be the case, he said. An investigation showed Ramirez and his wife have full-time jobs and own several cars, Brockley said.

Also, Brockley said the dog was not frail, as Ramirez claimed. He said that was proven by its ability to survive having its throat cut, only to die a few days later of an unrelated illness.

And he suggested Ramirez knew what he did was wrong because he lied to investigators. He initially denied the dog was his, saying his pet died a year earlier and was buried in Marin County, Brockley said.

It was all part of an effort to escape responsibility for a cruel act in which he left the bound and bleeding animal lying in six inches of creek water.

“He simply walked away,” Brockley said.

Ramirez’s lawyer, Charles Applegate, challenged the prosecutor’s version. He said the dog was sick and the only reason his client lied was because he thought he was being investigated for licensing issues.

Applegate said Ramirez was raised on a farm where it was common to slaughter animals with knives.

He denied the treatment of the dog was a malicious act.

“What he did was what he was raised to do,” Applegate said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.