A kansas City man who beat his dog to death with a sledgehammer has been put on probation for three years. Although the judge calls Michael Welch’s actions reprehensible, he says jail time would ruin Welch and his family. Welch has to do 40 hours of community service,cannot drink, and has to get counseling for financial and anger management. If Welch doesn’t do those things, he does to prison for three years. Welch says he beat the dog to death after the dog nipped his two-year-old son.