MIDDLEBURG, Fla. — Back in August 2026, Cole Daughtry’s then-girlfriend was looking through photos and videos on her phone from February and found something disturbing involving her dog, Nina.
Videos he recorded showed Daughtry, 25, torturing the dog, taping Nina’s snout shut and binding her legs together as he strangled the dog - who ultimately died.
Daughtry was charged with animal cruelty and on Tuesday plead guilty, according to a new release from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
He pled guilty to a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
He had previously told his former girlfriend that Nina had died from natural causes, and he buried her while she wasn’t home. His former girlfriend confronted him and then notified law enforcement.
“To call this case disturbing is simply an understatement and there’s no excuse for this kind of cruelty,” Sheriff Michelle Cook said.
Police said they were able to identify the dog’s assailant by a gang-affiliated tattoo on his right hand, and another tattoo on his left hand that reads “2000 Baby.”
Both were visible in the video, which also showed Daughtry petting the dog at intermittent times during the strangulation and torture.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
