A woman convicted of starving 14 Afghan hounds in her care last summer was sentenced to one year on probation this morning.
Cindy Chandler, 56, had originally been charged with 14 counts of animal neglect, all class A misdemeanors.
Chandler pleaded guilty to three counts, and the other 11 were dismissed, court records show.
She could have faced up to one year in prison for each count.
St. Joseph Superior Court Magistrate Brian Steinke sentenced her to one year in prison on each of the three counts, and he suspended all of them, meaning she doesn’t actually have to go to prison.
He then sentenced her to one year on probation. She is required to complete 100 hours of service with an animal shelter and to continue mental health counseling.
Chandler’s attorney, Jim Korpal, told the judge his client had been suffering from clinical depression while the dogs were starving in her Osceola home.
Three of the dogs later died; the rest recovered.
Read more in Friday’s Tribune.
Staff writer Mary Kate Malone:
mmalone@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6337
