Man sentenced to four years for animal cruelty, unlawful firearm possession

Zachary Dickinson was sentenced to four years in prison for first-degree animal cruelty and unlawful possession of a firearm on June 21, according to the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney (TCPA) news release.

These charges came after the suspect killed a young dog named Rocky in October 2023.

The sentencing followed an April 2024 jury trial, “where a jury found him guilty of the charges, as well as finding an aggravating circumstance that he committed the crime with an egregious lack of remorse,” stated the press release detailing the findings.

The incident occurred on October 16, 2023, when the dog was found deceased in a riverbank in the Nisqually Valley area.

It all started when the dog’s teenage owners heard Rocky cry in pain.

They saw Rocky, covered in blood, at their kitchen door, followed by the suspect holding a knife.

The teenagers testified that the suspect “was upset because he believed the dogs had been tampering with a deer carcass that he had hanging in the yard.”

The witnesses added that the suspect later retrieved a gun, and they heard a gunshot and then fled the house.

A forensic veterinarian testified that Rocky suffered from multiple wounds and ultimately died of shock from blood loss after being thrown into the river.

“The expert veterinarian testified that Rocky was alive when he was thrown into the river and managed to swim out of the river before succumbing to its wounds,” TCPA stated in their news release.

TCPA charged the suspect with first-degree animal cruelty and unlawful possession of a firearm.

“As prosecutors, it is our duty to seek justice, especially in cases involving the cruel and senseless infliction of suffering on any living being,” said Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim. “This conviction sends a clear message that conduct involving such cruelty toward animals will not be tolerated in our community.”

During the sentencing hearing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Randy Trick described the crime as a deliberate and brutal attack, stating, “Zachary Dickinson’s crime shocks the conscience. This was a deliberate, premeditated, prolonged, and gory attack committed with a degree of brutality and disregard for life that raises considerable concerns about the defendant’s future capacity and propensity for violence.”

The Washington State Legislature recently reclassified first-degree animal cruelty as a Level III offense, allowing for a maximum sentence of five years.