Augusta dog abuser gets short sentence despite video evidence

An Augusta man was convicted of animal cruelty after he was captured on video abusing three of his dogs and sentenced to 15 days in jail.

Lamario Jenkins, 42, was captured on video by a neighbor on Elderberry Drive on July 3 as he picked up a dog and threw it against a gas grill. He then grabbed another dog and strangled it, as the animal gasped for air.

In a third video, only the sound of the animal can be heard, screaming in pain.

Jenkins was charged with animal cruelty and sentenced to 15 days in jail, which began on July 18. Jenkins was also ordered to serve probation and pay a $1,000 fine.

However, the state court violation meant he would only have to serve half of the sentence. He was scheduled to be released Thursday (July 25), but jail records show he is now being held on a warrant from “another authority,” and he remained in custody Saturday at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

The animals he tortured were taken to a local shelter in Augusta, including two mixed breed puppies and an adult dachshund.

The adult dog was hit with a rolling pin and suffered broken teeth and ribs.

Local animal lovers claim that Animal Control limits itself to charging suspects with misdemeanors and that the sheriff’s office is lax in prosecuting crimes in such heartless incidents. They claim the only deterrent is having your name and photo made public.

Although all three animals survived the abuse, it took some time for them to recover from the trauma and they were initially wary of human contact. They are expected to be put up for adoption in the future.