On Monday, Amanda Leah Oswald, of Molino, Fla., was sentenced to three years of probation after she pleaded no contest to animal abuse charges.
According to Monday's North Escambia.com, Judge Gary Bergosh opted not to sentence the woman to jail time, despite the severe state of neglect that her dogs were found in back on September 21, 2012.
The two dogs rescued from the Oswald residence were so emaciated that one could not stand. Both dogs were tethered to heavy logging chains and neither had access to food or clean water.
The arrest report stated that the dogs were “malnourished to the point of starvation.”
A deputy described the sad scene in his report:
“I first observed a very skinny brown pit bill dog tied to a large chain barking at me,”
“I then observed a very skinny black pit bull dog lying on its side, and it appeared to be dead…I observed the black dog lift its head and look at me though due to the dog being so skinny from lack of food, the dog could not stand up.”
Prosecutors had recommended a much stronger sentence for Oswald and her husband, John Oswald, who was also charged.
State Attorney Bill Eddins stated:
“We recommended both defendants receive 11 months and 15 days in jail in addition to a lengthy probation. We felt that would be an appropriate sentence in view of the nature of the evidence,”
The authorities discovered the dogs after responding to a complaint of a loose, aggressive pit bull who had attacked a neighbor's dog. Neighbors informed the authorities that the dog belonged to the Oswalds.
Deputies who attempted to contact the couple found the emaciated, chained dogs at the Oswald home.
Judge Bergosh also sentenced Oswald to 50 hours of community service at the Escambia County Animal Shelter. During her probation time, she is not allowed to own animals.
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