Overview
- Grand Rapids Judge Angela Ross rejected a request for community service and ordered 10 days in jail plus $1,000 in restitution.
- A jury found Amanda Hergenreder guilty of misdemeanor larceny after a two-day trial over her refusal to return the dog to owner Chris Hamilton.
- Hergenreder said she discovered the 16-year-old pit bull mix tied to a truck in Grand Rapids, transported him two hours to her Millington clinic, treated a severe urinary tract infection, and removed a rotten tooth.
- Addressing the court, she said she saw a “dog in distress” but conceded she “failed to see the whole picture,” noting the animal was unlicensed.
- The dog, known as Vinnie to Hamilton and Biggby to Hergenreder, was euthanized in July for age-related health problems; the defense said he spent his final months in a safe, caring environment.