California man gets year in jail for beating poodle to death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles-area man who prosecutors say beat his poodle to death last year was sentenced on Tuesday to a year in jail and ordered to attend anger management and animal cruelty classes. Jason Arnold Vaca, 35, pleaded no contest in March to a single felony charge of cruelty to an animal. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said police responding to a 911 call of a man yelling and a dog being hit found blood inside Vaca's home and a lifeless poodle in his back yard. Vaca was taken into custody after he was identified as the owner of the dog. Prosecutors say the motive for the crime was not entered into evidence at trial. A no contest plea is the legal equivalent of pleading guilty under California law. As a result of the conviction, Vaca is prohibited from owning or living with any animal for 10 years, prosecutors said. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Eric Walsh)