Nebraska: Leslie Byron took her dog, locked inside a pet crate, into the woods and abandoned him to slowly die of starvation all alone, covered in feces and urine. Judge Jodi Nelson could have sent her to jail. Instead, she let her go home.

NEBRASKA -- A 22-year-old woman whose black lab starved to death after she abandoned it in the woods, locked inside a pet crate was given a chance on probation Thursday for abandoning or cruelly neglecting an animal resulting in injury or death.

Leslie Byron had pleaded no contest to TWO FELONIES.

"I'm sorry," she said, dabbing away her tears with a tissue before Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson sentenced her to two years of probation, plus 250 hours of community service.

She's not sorry about what she did to that poor dog. She's sorry she got caught. 

This poor dog, locked in a pet crate and dumped in the woods all alone, covered in feces and urine, desperate for something to eat and drink, barking itself hoarse, hoping someone would find it, drinking its own urine because its so desperate for water, then slowly laying down in its own feces and urine, too weak to stand, too weak to bark anymore, listening to any sound in the woods, hoping against hope that LESLIE BYRON would come back for him, wondering why LESLIE BYRON did this to him, until he finally closed his eyes for the last time and death took him.

LESLIE BYRON IS A MONSTER.

She also prohibited Byron from owning or living with any animal for 15 years, the maximum she could on the charge, which the prosecutor had sought.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Charlie Byrd said the dog, Diamond, suffered for a number of days - if not weeks - before dying of starvation and dehydration.

 

 

Last year, Lincoln police sought the community’s help in finding the owner of a dog found dead in a kennel near 37th and South streets, and Byron came forward to say it was her 3-year-old dog, Diamond.

At a plea hearing in January, Byrd said Byron told police her mom wouldn’t let the dog stay at her house and a landlord kicked Diamond out of a rental, so she left the dog in a crate.

When questioned by police, she CLAIMED that she would go out into the woods and "visit" every day and let the dog out of its crate so she could "play with it" and feed and water it and let it go to the bathroom. Seriously, does anyone believe this BS?

Then she told police she "got busy" and didn't return for three weeks and found the dog dead on Feb. 29, 2016.

At sentencing, Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender Jennifer Houlden said in Byron's own words, this is the worst thing she's ever done. Houlden said she had lost her grandmother, was abusing alcohol and severely depressed at the time.

Shut up Jennifer Houlden. You are an odious cretin.

But she's since sought counseling and was subjected to harassment and threats from the community as a result of what happened.

"I think everyone can agree this was a terrible tragedy," Houlden said. "She's here to accept the consequences."

Sierra Hotchkiss, 22, was charged with accessory to a felony, which is a misdemeanor, because she helped dump the dead dog, still locked in its crate, covered in feces, to the parking lot and drove away.

Birds of a feather flock together, Sierra. You are a monster, too.

(Journal Star - Apr 20, 2017)

Earlier:

• Nebraska: Investigation launched after dog died of dehydration, starvation, Lincoln police say
• Nebraska: Leslie Byron, 21, and Sierra Hotchkiss, 18, arrested in Lincoln animal cruelty case