Former Ravens player Terrence Cody's dog was so skinny and sick that employees at a Reisterstown animal hospital thought the animal was dead when he brought it in for treatment in January, veterinary staffers testified in court.
"This dog died a horrible, miserable death because of the conduct of both of these defendants," prosecutor Adam Lippe told Judge Judith C. Ensor.
Cody's attorney, Joe Murtha, said Cody neglected the animal but never intended for it to die. Cody paid $4,000 for the dog and another $4,000 to import it from Spain, he said.
"Terrence Cody did not intentionally kill his dog," he said. "He certainly acted in a neglectful way."
Cody was released by the Ravens when he was indicted in February.
According to forensic veterinarian Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, an expert witness who testified for the prosecution, Taz died of starvation and had likely been neglected for at least four weeks.
The Canary mastiff is an ancient breed of dog tracing back to the Roman Empire, she said. They are typically very muscular and weigh between 99 and 141 pounds.
Taz weighed less than 50 pounds the night he died, Lippe said.
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