The owner of a Southie dog training and boarding business admitted to animal cruelty charges, for which he was sentenced to two years of probation.

Tyler Falconer, 30, of Falco K9 LLC, was charged in May of last year with three counts of animal cruelty by a custodian and three counts of improperly tethering or confining an animal. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in municipal court in South Boston on May 31.

On Wednesday, Falconer changed his plea. Instead of guilty, Falconer opted to accept a continuance without a finding to two charges of animal cruelty by a custodian. Judge Margaret Albertson sentenced Falconer to two years of probation and ordered him to complete a Benchmark Animal Rehabilitative Curriculum — or BARC — course. Falconer is also barred from owning any animals or working in any animal-related business for three years.

“All animals, especially pets at a facility specialized to board and shelter them, should be treated with care,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement following the sentencing. “Pets bring so much happiness to those in their lives. Boarding pets can be stressful, and owners deserve to know that their pets are being treated compassionately.”

This case involves three dogs, all of whom lost a significant amount of weight, with one losing 20 pounds, or were injured during their stays at Falco K9. According to previous Herald reporting, the first was a 6- or 7-year-old male golden retriever who was boarded there for two weeks in November 2020. The next two were boarded in 2023: a 3-year-old female cane corso boarded there in January and February and a 5- to 6-month-old male Rhodesian ridgeback boarded there for two weeks in February.

The police report said Falconer failed to feed them or provide adequate water and subjected the animals to “unnecessary torture, suffering or cruelty of any kind” and exposed the dogs to “filthy” living conditions.

The Suffolk DA’s office created a countywide Animal Cruelty Task Force in January after 17 people in the jurisdiction, including Falconer, were charged with at least one animal cruelty-related crime in 2023.