Probation for former Elgin man who threw, injured puppy

A former Elgin man who was charged with breaking his pit bull puppy's leg after complaining about the dog's surgery bill on social media has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.

James Spencer, 26, formerly of the 200 block of Center Street in Elgin and now of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this month of misdemeanor attempted cruelty to animals and was sentenced to issued two years of probation, according to Kane County court records.

If Spencer violates probation, he could be resentenced to up to a year in jail. Nowhere in court records does it show that Spencer is banned from owning another pet while on probation, but he must undergo an evaluation by the Kane County Diagonostic Center and follow any recommendations, records show.

Spencer was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals in mid-February after a series of Facebook posts in which he admitted to possibly breaking the puppy's leg by throwing it, and then complaining about a $1,200 bill from the veterinarian for surgery, according to Kane County court records.

The original felony charge carried a punishment ranging from probation to up to three years in prison; Judge James Hallock accepted the plea, records show. In the plea, Spencer admits to "committing a substantial step" in committing cruelty to animals in that he threw the dog and injured its leg, court records show.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals received an anonymous tip about Spencer's Facebook posts and alerted Elgin police Feb. 14, records show. Read part of one post: "I think I just broke his left leg tho I threw him far as hell."

Elgin police went to Spencer's apartment Feb. 15 to check on the dog. Spencer said the 16-week old puppy fractured its leg getting tangled up in playground equipment Feb. 7 and the dog had surgery Feb. 9.

But police reviewed surveillance video from Spencer's apartment complex to piece together a timeline. At 8:51 p.m. Feb. 7, the dog appeared OK as it walked with Spencer through an apartment hallway; at 10:20 p.m. the dog limped out of the apartment and fell on his rear left hip, unable to put any weight on it, records show.

Authorities arrested Spencer and issued a petition for a forfeiture hearing for the dog. Spencer did not attend the forfeiture hearing, so the dog was turned over to police and later the Golf Rose Animal Hospital in Schaumburg.

Spencer's attorney, Dustin Smith, did not return a phone message.