2 change pleas, sentenced in North Pole puppy abuse case

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A North Pole couple charged with starving and beating a 6-month-old puppy reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports 22-year-old Denise John-Carroll pleaded guilty Thursday to one felony count of knowingly inflicting prolonged suffering to an animal.

John-Carroll was ordered to pay $1,300 to a veterinary hospital that treated the dog. She’s banned from owning an animal.

Twenty-two-year-old Leonard Kriska pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of the same charge.

An Alaska State Trooper found the injured puppy Nov. 7 during a call to their home. The dog was extremely underweight and had puncture wounds.

The dog was found tucked into a ball with his face hidden in a gap between a wall and a kitchen cabinet.

The dog has been adopted.

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