Ohio man gets jail term for killing dog with hammer

CONNEAUT, Ohio (AP) — A Northeast Ohio man accused of killing a dog with a hammer because he no longer wanted it and couldn’t find a buyer will spend more than a month in jail.

The sentence came after 44-year-old Gary Ratliff of Conneaut pleaded guilty earlier this week to cruelty to companion animals.

Court documents say he’ll also have to pay some fines and is forbidden from owning an animal the rest of life.

The Star-Beacon of Ashtabula reports that Ratliff’s brother brought the dead pit bull-mix to the police station in April and told officers Ratliff had killed it.

Ratliff later told police he killed the dog by hitting it in the head with a hammer.