Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.
Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs last week to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant.”
The 27-year-old is also not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.
The Chiefs released Buggs on 24 June, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was detained on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The animal cruelty charges came after officers from the Tuscaloosa Police Department found two dogs that were “seriously malnourished” and “emaciated” at a house rented by Buggs, according to court documents. The court filings reported that a neighbor said the dogs had been left there for at least 10 days and had no access to food or water. One of the dogs was eventually euthanized. Witnesses said Buggs had moved out of the house a week before the officers found the dogs.
Buggs’ agent, Trey Robinson, issued a statement saying that the dogs didn’t belong to the player. Robinson said Buggs didn’t know they were still on the property and was the target of a “subversive campaign” to shut down a hookah lounge he owns.
The defensive tackle played college football for Alabama and spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before two years with the Detroit Lions. He has started 23 games and appeared in 56 in his career, with 89 tackles and two sacks. He had signed a $1.3m contract with Kansas City for the upcoming season.
