Detroit dog owner gets probation after brutal mauling of man

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit dog owner has been sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty in the brutal mauling of a man who was attacked while feeding a pack of pit bulls.

Sixty-two-year-old Derick Felton pleaded guilty earlier this month to harboring dangerous animals that caused injuries. He was sentenced Friday as part of a plea agreement.

Steve Constantine lost most of his left arm, his left leg below the knee and his left ear last fall. The 51-year-old Constantine was trying to feed Felton's dogs when he was attacked. Police killed one dog at the scene.

Eleven other pit bulls or pit bull mixes were captured and euthanized.

In May, a judge awarded $100 million to Constantine in a civil lawsuit, but family says they haven't seen any of that money yet from Felton, and do not expect to.

Felton did not speak in court Friday. It is unclear why he didn't try to help Constantine when the dogs began to attack. FOX 2's Robin Murdoch reports Felton told us off camera that Constantine did not have permission to feed the dogs, and that he broke into his house to do so.

After 18 months of Felton's probation has passed, a judge will review the case. At that time, the judge can decide to end the probation or sentence Felton to jail for the remaining months.

This story contains information from the Associated Press.