Report: Schaumburg woman sentenced to probation in dog neglect case

A Schaumburg woman who was accused of neglecting her dog to a point where the animal lost a paw was sentenced Tuesday in Cook County circuit court to two years of probation and ordered to have a mental health evaluation, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The sentencing of Valerie Brewster, 61, came after she pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated cruelty to an animal. Other charges against her were dropped in exchange for the plea deal, the Tribune reports.

She was also ordered in court to provide veterinary health certificates every six months for her three cats, and ordered not to acquire any additional pets, the Tribune reports.

Brewster was charged with animal cruelty after her 9-year-old dog had matted fur clumping together to form a tourniquet that cut off circulation to one of its paws, prosecutors said.

Brewster, of the 1800 block of Hemlock Place, was charged in June with a single felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals. She has been free from jail on a personal recognizance bond.

The arrest follows an investigation that began when Brewster brought her dog Ernie, a Shih Tzu, to Golf Rose Animal Hospital on May 26 and a veterinarian observed that the paw was hanging on by matted hair but no longer attached to the body, authorities said.

In a written statement to police, Brewster said she noticed something unusual about the dog's paw in April, but didn't take the dog to the vet until May.

The last time Brewster took the dog to the vet was in either 2011 or 2012, and the last time he was groomed was in 2015, Gates said.

The dog has since been taken from the home.