Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Man bites dog, gets 60 days

Tuesday, November 01, 2005 - Staff Report

The state court system has bitten back in the case of the man accused of biting his dog.

A District Court judge sentenced John Ray Martin, 39, of Fairbanks to 60 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals last week as attorneys prepared for a trial. He was also fined $250 by Judge Jane Kauvar.

The dog, a boxer mix, had been a ward of the state until Monday. Martin, who was scheduled for release Monday after having been in jail since his Sept. 9 arrest, could have gotten the dog back.

But when he didn't pick it up, it was put up for adoption. Animal control manager Matt Ruger said the rescue organization Homeward Bound will adopt the dog.

Martin was arrested after witnesses called police to Golden Heart Plaza following what they called an attack on the dog. A witness told police Martin put the dog in a headlock and bit part of its ear off after the dog's previous owner asked for the animal back because Martin wasn't taking good care of it.

The dog yowled in pain and began bleeding freely. Police witnessed blood on the dog and Martin's face. They found the tip of the dog's ear, which measured about half a square inch, according to court records, on the ground.

Cruelty to animals is a Class A misdemeanor in Alaska. Martin could have received up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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