Overview

• Jurors reached a guilty verdict in about 45 minutes after a two-day trial in 61st District Court.
• Amanda Hergenreder took a 16-year-old pit bull tied near a U-Haul by a Biggby Coffee, drove two hours to her clinic, and treated a severe urinary tract infection and a rotten tooth last November.
• She renamed the dog Biggby, kept it in her home for roughly eight months, and said she spent about $3,000 on care.
• Hergenreder sought guidance from Grand Rapids Police, but when a detective later demanded the dog be returned to owner Chris Hamilton, she refused.
• Prosecutors emphasized Hamilton’s ownership rights while the defense argued Hergenreder acted on veterinary ethics, and the dog was euthanized in July due to age-related health problems.