Former Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Terrence Cody was sentenced to nine months in a Baltimore County detention center in his animal cruelty case, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Cody, 27, had faced the possibility of receiving two years in jail. He was convicted in November on charges of aggravated animal cruelty and neglect, illegal possession and neglect of an alligator and possession of marijuana.
Prosecutors argued that Cody and his girlfriend, Kourtney J. Kelley, had neglected the dog, a Canary mastiff, until it starved to death over the course of about a month.
The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, released a statement on Thursday criticizing Cody and the National Football League for its handling of such matters.
"PETA wonders how many times the NFL has to be asked to enroll its players in an empathy training program-and when cruelty to animals, children, and women will be grounds to be chucked out of the game? The Baltimore Ravens cut Terrence Cody over cruelty allegations last year, which is to the team's credit, but it seems that even if Cody had been caught on tape starving his dog in an elevator, the NFL still would have welcomed him back. All eyes are on the NFL to make it clear that the gridiron should be home to compassionate players like Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry, and Stevie Johnson, not a breeding ground for bullies."
The Ravens released Cody 13 months ago. The former second-round pick was out of football in 2015.
