A Duncan, BC man will spend four months in jail after being convicted in the beating death of his 16 week old puppy.
Robert Carolan has also been banned from owning animals for 10 years, and received three years probation in the death of the mixed breed puppy named 'Dux'.
Carolan claimed the young dog accidentally drowned after he placed him in a bathtub, and then stepped out for a cigarette.
The BC SPCA say autopsy results indicated the young animal had suffered blunt force trauma to his head and right rib.
They also found healed fractures on three of the puppy's ribs.
Tina Heary, a BC SPCA senior animal protection officer, says the timing is especially tragic, because the puppy died on Valentine's Day.
"We learned that people were suspicious of what was happening behind closed doors," says Heary. "Unfortunately they reported the abuse too late. We always feel - had we known earlier - we may have prevented this tragedy from happening."
Last year alone, the BC SPCA conducted 9334 new animal cruelty investigations.