CHESAPEAKE, Va. – On Friday, 43-year-old Marc Harding will serve one year and six months in prison for animal cruelty after officials say that he beat his dog so badly that it died.
Harding was sentenced fully to 5-years, but a total of 3 years and 6 months was suspended. He will have two years of supervised probation after his release.
In January, Harding’s neighbors wrote into News 3 shortly after the abuse happened, asking us to investigate. When we asked Chesapeake Police about the animal’s death they confirmed the crime had happened.
According to police, the dog’s body was found on a dirt road near Harding’s Sloop Trail home.
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Chesapeake man found guilty of animal cruelty