A Pennsylvania politician pleaded guilty to animal cruelty Thursday morning, but will serve no jail time. This comes just days before the trial.
Washington County, Pennsylvania Controller April Sloane made the plea in the starvation case of her dog, Thor, last year.
As part of the plea deal, she will not serve jail time, and she must resign from office by the end of this month. Sloane has already admitted to investigators that she caused Thor’s death by depriving him of food and water for days before he died in late November.
Local media reported that during negotiations today, the prosecution ensured Sloane pleaded guilty to felony aggravated animal cruelty after police discovered Thor’s remains in a trash bag at her home.
What’s next? Sloane faces five years of probation, must resign by the end of the month, and will serve probation. The judge stated that it was an obviously horrible case, but that Sloane received the appropriate sentence for the third-degree felony.
Sloane had no comment for local media. Animal advocates I spoke to expressed disappointment that Sloane isn’t facing jail time, but noted that at least she is resigning.
