Man Faces Jail Term for Burying Puppies

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. —  A man charged with burying his Rottweiler’s nine newborn puppies while they were still alive has pleaded no contest to animal cruelty charges.

Robert Homrighous, who is to be sentenced April 28, faces up to a year in jail under state guidelines. Assistant State Atty. Max Leuchter said Wednesday that he would ask the court to exceed the guidelines because of the “cruel, heinous and atrocious nature of the crime.”

The state attorney’s office has received about 2,000 letters from people around the world expressing anger, Leuchter said.

Police said Homrighous buried the mixed-breed puppies in his back yard Jan. 15. Their chained mother, Sheba, broke free and dug them up. They were rescued when a neighbor heard Sheba wailing and called authorities.

Three puppies died, but the others survived. They and Sheba have been put up for adoption.

Authorities say Homrighous, 42, offered no apology.

“He grew up on a farm and supposedly that’s the way they handled newborns,” Leuchter said. “I think that’s a slight against people on farms.”