September 12, 2012
By Manolo Morales, KHON2.com
A Waianae pig hunter pled no contest to three counts of animal cruelty Wednesday.
Franklin dela Cruz was shown in a video posted on Facebook, training his dogs to attack a pig that was enclosed in a pen.
Described by animal rights groups as horrific and amounting to torture, the video shows two dogs going after the pig while men as well as teenaged boys cheer the dogs on.
The video eventually led prosecutors to investigate, and Franklin dela Cruz was charged with three counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
In court Wednesday, dela Cruz pleaded no contest and was sentenced to pay a fine of $200 and 75 hours of community service. He’s also prohibited from owning or training any dogs for a year. The dogs were confiscated,and have since been adopted.
“We’ve adopted them out and the dogs are now living as companion animals and part of the family and not being used for hunting,” said Vaughn.
As for the teenagers involved, because they are underage, charges have been referred to family court, which are confidential.