“(There must be) some black hole in your heart.”

That was part of the message Judge Gregory Hammond gave to Brandon M. Kramrich, 38, Youngsville, who will spend nearly a year in prison after brutally assaulting a dog.

He was sentenced on Friday on charges including aggravated cruelty to animals.

Police were called to the residence multiple times back in January for domestic disputes.

“Upon arrival … the dog … was totally immobile, drooling blood from the mouth, appeared to have its right eye partially dislodged from its head and had fecal matter stuck to its rear quarters,” police alleged in the affidavit.

Police said the woman reported that Kramrich told her the dog had bitten him. When she went to get the dog, she found it in that condition, according to the affidavit.

After speaking with the woman, police went to see Kramrich at the Sulpher Springs residence.

“Directly inside the entrance door to the left laid a stool broken into multiple pieces with wet blood in several areas,” according to the affidavit. “Kramrich related that has been there for a while.” Police said it was not in that condition during the previous visits.

“Kramrich related that (the woman’s) dog snipped at his own dog while it was trying to eat,” police said. “He then went to shoo the dog away and it bit him in the hand. Kramrich related he became so enraged that he chased the dog into (the woman’s) bedroom where he punched the dog with a closed fist at least three times in the body” and back end.

Police said there were “bloody wounds” on Kramrich’s hands and “broken chunks of wood” in the bedroom that appeared to match the stool.

The dog is now partially blind. The clinical term for the injury is “proptosis.”

That is a medical condition which causes a dog’s eye to move forward, according to PetMD.com. The damage typically involves bulging past the eyelid.

Kramrich’s counsel, Chief Public Attorney John Parroccini, said that he believes this whole event “stems from uncontrollable anger issues.”

Calling the conduct “torture,” District Attorney Rob Greene noted that the dog is small. He said it could have died and is only blind “so there is that,” calling the assault “disgusting” while asking for a state prison sentence.

Kramrich apologized to the court and said he felt bad about it. He said there had been prior arguments before the dog attacked his dog and bit him. He said he was angry from the argument and that “pushed me over the edge.”

“I don’t know what kind of argument with family could get you to do this,” Hammond said, noting that many people are physically unable to assault an animal like this, noting he “beat the heck” out of the dog.

“I don’t buy your story,” he added, calling the conduct “incomprehensible” and claiming there must be “some black hole in your heart.”

Hammond then sentenced Kramrich to one year less two days to two years less one day incarceration in the county jail with credit for 145 days time served, one year probation, $1,625 in fines and fees, work release and early reentry eligibility, submission of a DNA sample and drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and compliance with recommendations on a count of aggravated cruelty to animals — causing serious bodily injury or death.

He also ordered 50 hours of community service and asked probation officers to contact either humane societies or veterinarians to see if they would let Kramrich complete his community service there “clean(ing) some pens” or whatever they might need.

Hammond acknowledged those agencies might be uncomfortable with such an arrangement but wanted probation to give them the option.

He also sentenced Kramrich to two years probation, a $300 fine and 50 hours of community service on a count of unauthorized use of motor/other vehicles, $70 each on charges of driving an unregistered vehicle and operating a vehicle without a valid inspection as well as $245 on a count of driving without a license and $245 plus a 12 month license suspension on a count of driving while operating privilege suspended or revoked.

A count of cruelty to animals merged for sentencing purposes.