Today, (May 24) James SUTHANN (39) was sentenced by Judge Charles Crawford to 180 days in Brevard County Jail, followed by three (3) years of supervised probation, after entering a plea of No Contest to one (1) count of Cruelty to Animals, Death, Pain or Suffering (F3), on May 17, 2021. SUTHANN was also ordered to pay restitution for the dog's medical expenses and barred from owning or working with animals during his probation.

 

When plea negotiations prior to trial reached an impasse, SUTHANN entered a No Contest plea directly to the Court, allowing Judge Crawford to determine an appropriate sentence. Prosecutors refused offers that did not include at least 364 days of jail time and an adjudication of guilt. SUTHANN's attorney argued that the dog had a previously fractured tail that had been fused as evidenced by prior x-rays and that SUTHANN had not been informed of the injury by management, or that the dog needed to be handled gently. 

 

On February 25, 2019, SUTHANN was arrested for animal cruelty by the Brevard County Sheriff's Animal Services Unit. Owners of Groomingdale's Pet Spa, where SUTHANN worked as a contract employee, turned over a video recording of him abusing a German Shepherd service dog known as "TT". SUTHANN can be seen twisting and breaking the dog's tail which had to be amputated as a result of the attack.