Spanaway woman fined for letting dog starve to death

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Spanaway woman who allowed her great Dane to starve to death was ordered to pay a $2,400 fine, but escaped jail time.

The News Tribune reports that the Pierce County Superior Court judge issued the ruling against Melissa Ramos on Wednesday.

Ramos is also prohibited by state law from ever owning a dog again.

She pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty. She admitted in a plea agreement that she underfed her 2-year-old dog, Zeus, and that he died as a result. It occurred during tough financial times.

Ramos said the dog had previously been sick and she spent $2,000 on vet bills during a period when her husband was unemployed. The dog starved after that.

Her lawyer said Ramos was truly remorseful for what happened to Zeus.