Hunt said Wilkes and his family, due in large part to media coverage of the case, have "suffered pretty extreme punishment in the form of social ostracism," they have been threatened, and his young niece has been harassed at school.

However, Wilkes has worked hard to conquer his meth addiction, she said.

"He's clean today and is willing to take a test today," she said. "I'm very proud of him."

After the sentencing, animal lover Anne Davis, who runs a Web site titled helpushelpthem.org, said she was pleased Wilkes was jailed.

"These issues need to be taken seriously," Davis said. "This is a real victory for animals in Utah."

Gene Baierschmidt, humane society executive director, said he hopes the Legislature will make animal cruelty a felony, which it is in most other states.

He said many studies have shown animal abuse goes hand-in-hand with domestic violence, child abuse and other crimes that often occur at home and in personal or family relationships.

"We want to stop the cycle of violence," Baierschmidt said. "People say, 'It's just a cat.' Tomorrow it might be an elderly person."

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com