Pennsylvania: Jamie Rutledge, 30, starved her dog to death. Her punishment? $750 fine and she has to wait 3 months before she can get another animal to starve to death

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Philadelphia woman was convicted of animal cruelty after she was accused of starving her dog to death.

Jamie Rutledge was found guilty in absentia Monday after she failed to appear in court.

The Pennsylvania SPCA said humane law enforcement officers responded to a complaint of a dead dog found on Rutledge’s property on Jan. 9. A necropsy confirmed the German shepherd’s cause of death as starvation.

Rutledge told the PSPCA that she was afraid of the dog and stopped feeding it.

She was ordered to pay a $750 fine and is not allowed to own an animal for 90 days.

“While we feel satisfied that the offender will face some penalty, it is clear that the punishment does not fit the crime,” PSPCA CEO Jerry Buckley said.

Cruelty to animals in Pennsylvania is considered a summary offense. Penalties range from fines of $50 to $750, up to 90 days in jail or both.

“When an animal suffers, and ultimately dies, the responsible parties need to be held accountable for their actions,” Buckley said. “Such a minimal penalty (in Rutledge’s case) is not much of a deterrent to others who may be inclined toward cruelty.”

(Lancaster Online - Feb 3, 2016)