A Roodhouse woman will serve probation after pleading guilty in an animal cruelty case stemming from the death of a puppy last fall.
Previous reports indicated Roodhouse police were contacted in late October about a dog in need of veterinary care for wounds to its jaw and eye area. Roodhouse Police Chief Kyle Robison said at the time that when veterinary care was not provided, the city’s animal control officer alerted law enforcement.
Chief Robison said officers later discovered the puppy deceased in a trash can.
40-year-old Rebecca Newingham of Roodhouse, was charged November 6th with one count of felony aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals. The felony charge carried a potential penalty of one to three years in prison and fines of up to $25,000, while the misdemeanor charge was punishable by up to one year in jail and fines up to $2,500.
Newingham appeared before Greene County Circuit Judge Zachary Schmidt Monday and entered an open guilty plea to the Class A misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals. Newingham was sentenced to 18 months probation.
As part of a negotiated plea agreement, the Class 4 felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals was dismissed.
Greene County state’s attorney Craig Grummel said he takes allegations of animal cruelty seriously and noted a pattern in recent cases, with untreated or undertreated mental health conditions affecting the suspects
Grummel said his goal is twofold: to protect animals from future harm and to address the underlying issues that led to the offense.