In her orange jail jumpsuit, a humble Brown pleaded with the judge for a light sentence.
What would you have done differently?" her attorney asked.
"I would have picked up the phone and dropped the dime on Harley a little sooner," she replied.
Brown was convicted of animal cruelty earlier this year. Her dog "Harley" had a baseball size growth on his neck and other health issues.
The Pasco grandmother lives on a fixed income of $508 a month, and said she just couldn't afford to take him to the vet.
[Although she is referred to as a 'Pasco grandmother', this woman is NOT elderly. According to tampabay.com, she is only 47 years old. She is collecting disability at 47 for a "degenerative bone disease and hypertension (aka high blood pressure)". There are many people who suffer from joint disease and manage to work, many people who have high blood pressure and have jobs.]
In an interview from jail on Thursday, she said many others struggle to take care of their pets.
According to Tampabay.com, in 2011 Pasco Animal Shelter investigated a report of animal cruelty at Brown's home. The agent testified in court there was pus coming out of Harley's eyes, his skin was bleeding, he had a baseball sized tumor at the base of his neck, was heart worm positive, and suffered from ear mites. A veterinarian recommended Harley be humanely euthanized to alleviate his suffering.
"Should all of Pasco County go down on animal neglect just because they can't afford to take their dog to the vet? I don't think that's fair, and I don't think that's fair what they put on me," she said.
Animal Services Officer Robin Long testified that she thought Harley was dead when she discovered him on the side of the road.
She told the judge that Brown could have sought help from animal groups.
Then the judge the laid into Brown, saying the evidence was so horrible, some jurors couldn't even stomach seeing some of the pictures of Harley.
Judge William Webb said she neglected Harley to death.
After a tongue lashing that lasted several minutes, the judge sentenced Brown to six months of community service and three months of probation -- no jail time. She could have faced up to five years in prison.
Her days of owning another pet, for now anyway, are over .
(FOX 13 - April 26, 2013)
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