An Everett man received a sentence to undergo three years of supervised mental health treatment for his animal cruelty crimes, as per the decision of a Snohomish County Superior Court judge on Wednesday. The sentence comes after a push by Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office, which led to the legal charge against Blayne M. Perez for shooting a kitten in the eye. Failing to stick to the terms of his community custody may land Perez a three-year and four-month prison term.
Apart from the treatment order, the judge mandated that Perez pay out $9,174 in restitution to the injured kitty's owners and slapped on an additional $1,700 in fines. He has also been handed a lifetime ban on owning or even living with any animal and told to cease contact with the kitten's victimized owners. The Attorney General’s Office had earlier recommended Perez to thoroughly serve a prison sentence, pointing towards a harsh three years and four months behind bars along with the fines and restitution.
Last year in March, Attorney General Ferguson unrelentingly filed eight felony charges against Perez: seven counts of first-degree animal cruelty and one count of first-degree malicious mischief. In October, Perez entered a guilty plea to three of those felony charges. The prosecution hinted at a zero-tolerance stance towards animal abuse and equally indicated the importance of restitution and penalties in these cases.
During the proceedings, Ferguson made his standpoint clear, stating in no uncertain terms, "My office will not stand for cruelty to animals," according to the Attorney General's Office. His statement continued, "My office will help to protect pets and wildlife through environmental criminal prosecutions like this one."
