MACOMB COUNTY (WWJ) -- A protest is being held outside of the Macomb County courthouse today, where a woman who pleaded guilty to abusing a puppy is being sentenced.
Amber Sunde, 26, was offered a plea deal by The Macomb Country Prosecutor's Office after a doctor diagnosed her with mental illness. The deal would give her only two years probation -- no jail time -- if she completes several steps, including mental health treatment.
Sunde had been accused of badly abusing the puppy, reportedly committing terrible acts such as breaking his bones and repeatedly throwing him into the Clinton River.
The dog -- later named Finn -- was able to survive the abuse and has since been adopted by a police officer who was working on the case.
Theresa Sumpter, director of Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue, tells WWJ that the plea deal is inappropriate given the crime.
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that she broke the law by abusing this dog,” Sumpter said of Sunde’s diagnosis. “There’s lots of people who have mental health issues but do not habitually beat a dog and try to drown him.”
“I don’t see any real consequences here,” she added.
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Prosecutors say Sunde is required to attend counseling, take medication, report to mental health court on a weekly basis, and pay $6,000 in restitution.
If Sunde completes the terms of her probation, the felony animal abuse charge gets downgraded to a misdemeanor. If she fails, she could face jail time.