A Florida man convicted of biting a small dog on the face and choking him so hard his eye popped out has been sentenced to one year in prison.
The Palm Beach Post reports 37-year-old David Etzel was sentenced on Friday after being found guilty of felony animal cruelty a few days earlier.
Etzel's mother told deputies in April that her 2.03-metre, 170kg son was drunk when he started teasing her shih tzu named Cujo, prompting the dog to bite him. She said Etzel then bit the dog back.
A judge also ordered anger management and alcohol treatment.
Veterinarians were able to put Cujo's eye back in, but officials say the animal is permanently blind in that eye. A veterinarian told deputies the injuries were comparable to being hit by a vehicle or attacked by another dog.
