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Alleged dog abuser goes to trial

Jane Stebbins

BRECKENRIDGE – Nathan Sucheski will face a jury in a two-day trial beginning Feb. 9, 2005, on felony charges of animal cruelty.The Silverthorne man was arrested earlier this summer after Summit County Animal Control officers received a tip that he was abusing his bulldog, Roscoe. At the time, the dog was 5 months old.Animal control officers took the dog into protective custody. He had broken ribs and legs, a broken jaw and indications of previous fractures. Additionally, he was severely underweight for a puppy his age. The dog was placed in “foster care” before he was adopted to a Front Range family in July.The name of the family and their hometown is not being published to protect the dog.Since then, he has undergone an array of surgeries. Now a sociable, energetic dog, Roscoe has overcome most of the challenges he faced, although he might have to deal with others in the future, animal control officers said.The animal cruelty charge is a Class 6 felony punishable by at least a year in jail and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000. Animal cruelty was a misdemeanor in Colorado until July 2002, when legislators passed a law allowing for stiffer penalties in more serious cases of aggravated animal cruelty.District Court Judge David Lass also scheduled a telephone pretrial conference for Jan. 14, but Sucheski is not required to attend.


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