A man has been sentenced to probation for killing his dog and leaving it on the side of the road in Coal Creek Canyon in 2023.

Anthony Holliday, 26, accepted a plea deal in May in which he pleaded guilty to aggravated animal cruelty.

On Friday, he was sentenced to five years of probation, 50 hours of community service and 90 days of electronic home monitoring.

He will not be allowed any pets during probation and will not be allowed to pet sit.

A booking photo was not available.

Boulder District Judge Chris Larson said he decided on five years to ensure that Holliday receives therapy.

“The court is concerned about your mental health,” Larson said.

He added, “I’m making that order because an extended term of probation would provide you with an extended term of therapy.”

Larson said he would welcome a motion of early termination if Holliday’s probation officer were to file one.

Holliday’s defense attorney Katherine Spengler said Holliday had a very chaotic upbringing and is considered low-risk to the community.

“Mr. Holliday is accepting full responsibility,” Spengler said. “He’s so ashamed and regretful of what occurred.”

Spengler said Holliday made multiple attempts in the weeks prior to the incident to separate his two dogs, since they were reacting to one another.

Spengler asked for two years of probation while Chief Deputy District Attorney Fred Johnson asked for three.

Johnson described the case as “particularly heinous” but recognized that Holliday takes responsibility and has shown a lot of remorse.According to a July 6 news release, the young, neutered male dog was found June 23 off the side of a private road off Coal Creek Canyon Road.

Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputies were initially called out on a report of a suspicious item. Upon arrival, deputies found a dead dog wrapped in plastic and a sheet. The dog was in a tote bag with concrete in the bottom and a ratchet strap wrapped across its neck and body, according to the affidavit. The affidavit said it appeared that whoever put the dog in the tote attempted to encase it in concrete as concrete was knocked loose in large quantities around the dog.

According to court records, Holliday is suspected of harming the dog on June 14. A game camera on the property filmed a suspicious Home Depot van that had damage on the passenger side by the rear tire. Last month, the sheriff’s office said the van may have been driven by a person who left the dog.

The dog underwent a necropsy that determined the dog had multiple broken ribs and two fractures to the skull. It was concluded that the dog died of blunt force trauma, according to an affidavit. Police tracked down Holliday’s address after checking records at the Home Depot. After getting pictures of Holliday’s dogs from an apartment employee, they were able to determine that Holliday’s dog was the one that was found, according to the affidavit.