WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida jury has convicted a 43-year-old woman on animal cruelty charges for abandoning an emaciated pit bull named Bruno.
Prosecutors say the dog died a short time after it was found in a Sands Motel room in January 2015. On Thursday, jurors found Katheryn Portman guilty on both felony and misdemeanor charges.
The Palm Beach Post reports the dog was found after someone complained that Portman left it behind when she was kicked out of the motel. The 8-year-old dog was suffering from mange and stopped breathing shortly after arriving at a shelter.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Portman “starved and abandoned her dog.” Aronberg said he prosecuted the case to send a message that “animal cruelty will not be tolerated in our community.”