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Frederick County Man Thomas Mackey Gets Probation For Abusing Guinea Pig

FREDERICK, MD. (WJZ) — A Frederick County man will have to undergo mental health treatment and can't own animals during his three-year probation sentence for an aggravated animal cruelty case.

On December 2, 2018, Frederick County Sheriff's deputies and Animal Control officers were called to the 5400 block of Urbana Pike for a 911 call reporting physical abuse of a guinea pig.

Witnesses said that Thomas Mackey, 34, of Middletown, was seen sitting inside a parked vehicle in a parking lot striking the animal and inserting his finger into its rectum.

The guinea pig was medically evaluated and the injuries matched witnesses' descriptions.

The State argued for a suspended sentence, but the judge sentenced Mackey to probation before judgment and ordered three years of supervised probation with special conditions of mental health treatment, random checks by Animal Control and prohibition to owning new animals for the period of probation.

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