A Kingston man will spend at least five years in prison for poisoning his dog, Brutus, with fentanyl and then fatally stabbing it after first denying the animal cruelty.

Jonathan Paluzzi, 45, had previously tried to have Brutus, a 60-pound bull terrier mix, euthanized by a veterinarian, according to Plymouth County prosecutors, but the vet turned the request down because the dog was healthy. So, prosecutors say, Paluzzi took matters into his own hands.

Police received a call on Jan. 31 directing them to an apartment complex at Kingston Collection Way, which matches the address for The Point at Kingston. The caller told police that “shuffling, crying, a dog whining and yelling and then sudden silence” could be heard from a neighboring apartment, according to the Kingston Police Department.

Police say that Paluzzi first tried to euthanize Brutus with fentanyl, according to the Plymouth District Attorney’s office, but when the dog didn’t overdose Paluzzi then took a knife to it. A postmortem examination of the dog at MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston confirmed fentanyl was in Brutus’ system at the time of death.

Paluzzi pleaded not guilty to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of fentanyl, a Class A controlled substance when he was first charged in February. On Thursday he copped to two counts each of animal cruelty and intimidation of a witness.

A judge sentenced Paluzzi to five to seven years in state prison. Seven years is the maximum penalty for animal cruelty, according to the Plymouth DA.