COACHELLA, CA. (THECOUNT) — Deborah Sue Culwell, the woman who was caught on video tossing a bag of puppies into a dumpster in Coachella earlier this year, has pled guilty and was sentenced to 1 year in lockup.
The sentence, which also includes 6 years’ probation after her time behind bars, was reduced to 174 days with credit for time served.
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Culwell was originally charged with 7 felony counts of animal cruelty, plus 7 misdemeanor counts of abandoning the dogs – and she pled guilty to all 14 charges. She was initially facing up to 7 years behind bars.
In addition to the jail time, she must undergo random drug testing, and also complete mental health counseling. She also cannot possess any animals during the probation, reports TMZ on Thursday.
Deborah Sue Culwell has been identified as the woman caught on video tossing a bag of newborn puppies near a dumpster in Coachella, California, last week. She was arrested on Monday.
Police arrested Culwell, 54, outside her Coachella home back in April, according to Riverside County Animal Services spokesperson John Welsh.
Culwell was facing seven counts of felony animal cruelty, Welsh said.
Culwell was seen in the video leaving the seven newborn puppies in a plastic bag near a dumpster behind a NAPA Auto Parts store on Thursday afternoon, according to Riverside County Animal Services.
The puppies survived and are being lovingly cared for by officials. The animals will require being bottle fed for some time if they are expected to survive.
Commander Chris Mayer with animal services said he was building an animal cruelty case against the woman with the help of the Riverside County Sheriff’s office and the District Attorney’s office, reports WGNTV.
Culwell is currently being housed at the Indio jail.
Geo quick facts: Coachella is a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region known as the Coachella Valley. It is 28 miles east of Palm Springs, 80 miles east of Riverside, and 130 miles east of Los Angeles – Wikipedia.