A 23-year-old Florida man who duct-taped his dog’s mouth shut and left the animal in a parked car pleaded guilty last week and will have to complete 100 hours of community service and buy a proper muzzle.

In July, Thomas Ethridge was ticketed for animal cruelty, a Class I misdemeanor, for taping his 9-month-old Belgian Malinois’s mouth shut and leaving him in a car parked at the Durango Community Recreation Center.

According to District Attorney Christian Champagne, Ethridge pleaded guilty and accepted a plea deal of a lesser charge of attempted cruelty to animals, a Class II misdemeanor.

Champagne said La Plata County Animal Protection recommended to the court that Ethridge be required to pay a fine, complete community service and buy an appropriate muzzle for the dog.

La Plata County Judge Martha Minot ordered Ethridge to do 100 hours of community service and buy the muzzle. She did not, however, levee a fine on Ethridge.

Champagne said Ethridge was convicted, so the matter will stay on his record. Champagne said Ethridge did not have any previous history of animal cruelty.

The dog, named Appa, was discovered on July 18, which had a high of 89 degrees, in the car by passersby who eventually alerted Animal Control. Ethridge left the scene, but Animal Control was able to track him down through a license plate number.

Ethridge previously told The Durango Herald that he moved from Florida to Durango earlier this summer and has since been living out of his car. He said he duct-taped the dog’s mouth shut to stop him from eating items in the vehicle.

Ethridge said he was also concerned that the Belgian Malinois may escape the car and attack someone.

“I don’t think what I did was the extreme animal abuse of the century, but I understand it is against the law,” Ethridge said. “I totally accept what I did and the punishment for it.”

jromeo@durangoherald.com