A Ramsey County judge on Tuesday sentenced a St. Paul man to three years of probation after he pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty in the killing of a puppy on June 23, 2024. Under the plea deal, a one-year jail sentence will remain on the books but is stayed for the three-year probationary period, and the conviction can be reduced to a misdemeanor if he completes probation and meets the county's treatment requirements.
Probation Terms, Treatment Court And Defendant's Statement
Thirty-year-old Tyler John Van Lannen was ordered to submit to random testing for alcohol and controlled substances and to fully comply with Ramsey County's mental health treatment court as conditions of his probation. Appearing for sentencing via Zoom from an inpatient treatment facility, Van Lannen told the judge he was “ready to get back up on my feet, get better. I didn’t like being homeless and just being drunk,” according to the Pioneer Press.
Police Account Of The Puppy’s Killing
New Brighton police responding to a reported disturbance on the 2200 block of Palmer Drive said they found a 6-month-old soft-coated Wheaten terrier dead and curled up inside a garbage bag. Officers allege Van Lannen told them the dog “wouldn’t stop barking,” that he hit the puppy about six times with a hammer, and that his then-wife told officers he said, “So I killed it.” Those details were previously reported by Yahoo News.
Prior Record, Divorce And Upcoming Court Dates
Court records show Van Lannen and his wife finalized their divorce two months after the killing, and prosecutors noted he had two prior DWI convictions from 2021. He is scheduled to return to Ramsey County's mental health treatment court on March 16 and has a separate court appearance set in Dakota County District Court for April 28, according to the Pioneer Press.
