Diondre Brown says he acted as a lookout for Adell Zeigler, but that he tried to get him to stop.

Phoenix, the Jack Russell terrier that was badly burned last fall, now has a forever home. For the past seven months Judi Bunge has been Phoenix’s foster, caring for him around the clock and helping him to recover. The bond that the two have formed made it clear to the Buffalo Small Animal Hospital that Bunge was the right person to provide Phoenix with his permanent home.

The man accused of burning Phoenix, a Jack Russell terrier puppy, by dousing him with lighter fluid and setting him on fire last October pleaded guilty to felony aggravated cruelty to animals on Monday.

Six-months ago Phoenix’s story swept the nation. The Jack Russell Terrier puppy survived the horrible cruelty of being lit on fire. Now almost fully recovered Phoenix is helping others.

Phoenix is still doing well on his road to recovery, and is bonding with a house fire victim in his foster home – a cat named Burnie.

Phoenix has had surgery on his ears, neck and knee, as well as receive his first skin grafts.

For all the times you’ve wished an abuser could suffer even a fraction of the pain they’ve inflicted on an innocent animal…

“I don’t think this guy should have a pet rock,” said District Attorney Frank Sedita. “He’s an off-the-charts animal abuser. He’s a sociopath.”