Sacramento Man Pleads No Contest To Drowning Girlfriend's Dog With Bowling Ball

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A man accused of drowning his ex-girlfriend's dog with a bowling ball in the American River has pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday.

William David Meek, 47, told his then-girlfriend in June 2014 he was taking her 13-year-old border collie Zelda to the Front Street Animal Shelter.

Instead, investigators say he took Zelda to East Sacramento where he dumped her in the American River. To ensure the dog drowned, he tied her leash to a bag with a large river rock and a bowling ball, and tightly wrapped her collar around her snout. A resident nearby found Zelda's body several days later.

When a warrant for his arrest was issued, investigators say Meek fled to Nevada, where he was arrested in November.

He pleaded not guilty in February, but changed it on Monday. No plea deal was arranged.

He faces a sentence up to three years and will be in court on June 12.