In Tooele County, Utah, Michael Paul Busico, 41, was sentenced to prison on Wednesday for setting a dog on fire last year. He admitted to setting Dixie, a four-year-old Red Heeler on fire, after stealing her from her own yard in an effort to intimidate her family.
According to AbcNews, the Tooele City Police arrived a the residence after a reported theft on March 1, 2021. The victim’s father-in-law stated his daughter-in-law’s mother’s ex-boyfriend, Busico had taken Dixie without permission earlier in the day. Busico had been at the home with the dog on the day he disappeared with her.
Later in the day, Busico had contacted the family stating he had been upset about money. Dixie was found that afternoon after she had been set on fire and abandoned. She suffered from second and third degree burns and later euthanized because of the seriousness of her injuries according to Salt Lake County Animal Services.
“This is a very hard thing for me to post and tell everyone but we are going to have to say our goodbyes to our sweet Dixie girl. The hospital is basically keeping her alive her levels have gone down and those are improving but the surgery’s (sic) that she needs to her eyes, ears, and abdomen are going to be very hard on her and she may not make it out of them… the tissue in her eyes are so badly burnt its very damaged so she would be losing her eye sight completely and their (sic) is no healthy skin to be able to do a skin graft on her abdomen where she is very badly burnt. The average red heeler life is any where between 12-15 years and they are only giving her 12-18 months to live and that will be with her being in the hospital for a long period of time and after that always being in and out of the hospital.”
Dixie’s owner, Trista Dawn Heywood,
Busico pleaded guilty to arson, a second-degree felony, and torture of a companion animal, a third-degree felony, in exchange for two other charges being dismissed. He was sentenced to one to 15 years in Utah State Prison for arson and up to five years for animal cruelty. The judge also ordered the sentences to run consecutively, which means Busico could serve up to 20 years in prison if he serves the full time.
Rest in peace Dixie.
Read previous coverage of this heartbreaking news here.
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