Granite City man gets prison time for spraying dog with toxic chemical
A Granite City man charged with animal torture and aggravated animal cruelty in February has pleaded guilty to one of the charges.
Rodney W. Johnson, 45, admitted to spraying a dog that wasn’t his, a 10-year-old Maltese mix named Charlie, with a toxic chemical, according to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. The corrosive liquid caused burns and loss of skin over a large portion of Charlie’s body.
Johnson was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, the maximum sentence on the animal torture charge.
“While we are proud he received the maximum sentence, considering the horrific nature of the crime, we do not think it is enough time,” the state’s attorney’s office stated on social media. “We will continue to advocate for longer possible sentences in future animal abuse cases.”
Charlie, the dog, was taken to Pound Pets Inc., an animal organization that treated his injuries. According to the organization, Charlie has recovered from the incident.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 12:04 PM.
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