BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A Brevard County man accused of suffocating a 12-week-old puppy has struck a plea deal and many say that deal is a slap on the wrist.

In court Wednesday, Daniel Ham pleaded no contest. Investigators say Ham used a sock to suffocate a puppy and left it in a Brevard County dumpster last February.

The plea deal has outraged many animal rights activists. They were just outside the Brevard County courthouse before 8:00am Wednesday. When 20-year-old Daniel Ham was led into the courtroom he was greeted by their silent stares.

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Ham was originally charged with two counts of animal cruelty. Investigators say he stuffed a sock in the mouth of a 12-week-old puppy, placed the dog in a garbage bag and left it for dead, but someone found the puppy in a dumpster and took it to a local emergency clinic where it died the next day.

Ham claimed that the dog had hit its head and he thought it was already dead. Wednesday, Ham, represented by a public defender, worked out a plea deal for a lesser, misdemeanor charge.

That means, instead of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, Ham was sentenced to 71 days, a $200 fine plus court costs, nine and a half months probation and community service.

"We're disappointed. This is an insult to our intelligence. He's yet another criminal that the State Attorney's Office and the judge have put back on the streets," animal rights activist Holly Gann told Eyewitness News.

"People who abuse animals are more likely to commit violent crimes against people. We are very disappointed," animal rights activist Nick Stack told Eyewitness News.