A New Jersey woman admitted to abandoning pit bull found at the bottom of a trash chute was sentenced to probation on Thursday.
Prosecutors in the case against Kisha Curtis, 29, wanted to give her the maximum sentence for the animal abuse crime. Instead of 18 months in prison, a judge sentenced her to 18 months of probation, according to the Associated Press.
The women reportedly left her pit bull named Patrick tied to a railing outside her Newark apartment building in 2011. The dog was found in a plastic bag in the apartment's crash chute, weighing 20 pounds and barely able to walk.
Curtis did not admit to throwing Patrick down the trash chute, AP reports.
Though her crime was heinous to animal lovers around the nation, the judge made a tough decision about Curtis' sentencing.
"On a scale of 10, with 10 being the most serious, Ms. Curtis' case, from where I sit, is around a three or a four," Judge Joseph Cassini III told the court. "In this case, fortunately, no one was killed; Patrick survived and is thriving. We have to put things in perspective."
Animal rights supports and dog lovers filled the courtroom wearing green shirt to support the pit bull during Curtis' sentencing. Patrick was found on St. Patrick's Day and has received national attention ever since; a group called Prayers For Patrick attended the hearing.
"I just wanted her to serve some time," Allison Ognibene, group member, told AP. "She left this dog to die. After 2 1/2 years of dragging this out, I don't think justice was served."
The court case has called for stricted animal cruelity laws in New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie recently signed "Patrick's Law," "which increases fines and maximum prison sentences for some animal cruelty offenses," according to AP.
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