WEST JORDAN -- A 42-year-old Sandy man has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge amid accusations he stomped his girlfriend's Pomeranian puppy to death.
David Stepper entered the plea Tuesday. Charges were reduced from felony torture of a companion animal.
Stepper's girlfriend Rebecca Johnson testified at a preliminary hearing that she bought the puppy named Cooper as a Christmas gift for her children. The Deseret News reports Stepper works out of town for weeks at a time, and Johnson tried to keep the dog hidden when he returned because Stepper didn't want the dog in their house.
The couple argued after Stepper discovered the puppy, and Johnson says he stomped and killed the two-pound dog Jan. 27.
He faces up to a year in jail at sentencing Jan. 23.
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