MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The man who was arrested after a German Shepherd puppy was found malnourished and covered in sores has pleaded guilty.
Christopher Sauber was sentenced on Tuesday to five years suspended to 180 days in jail and three years probation on a charge of ill-treatment of animals. He is not allowed to own any animals during the three-year probation and must pay all court costs, Judge Robert Hood ordered.
The sentence also requires that Sauber continue mandatory treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sophie, a 9-month-old German Shepherd, was found locked in a cage in an extended stay hotel room. She was taken to the Murrells Inlet Veterinary Hospital for treatment.
“When she came to us we knew she immediately needed emergency care,” said the executive director of the Grand Strand Humane Society, Jessica Wnuk. “We called the Murrells Inlet Veterinary Hospital and they were amazing, they were on standby for her.”
The community rallied around Sophie during her recovery, from hosting a chicken bog fundraiser to raising $15,000 for her treatment.
Sophie’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle and she eventually found her forever family. “The outpouring of support and love and kind words has been unbelievable, not just from our area, it’s been amazing, we’ve received letters from Kansas, and Maine,” said Wnuk.
A Myrtle Beach local and someone who has been a frequent visitor of Sophie since day one, Taylor Jonathan, is now Sophie’s new owner.
“When I first met Sophie and just saw how sweet her spirit was and what she had been through, defeated, but still happy, still okay, the amount of love she got, I just kept coming back, I got emotionally attached,” Jonathan said.
He says he’s with her 24/7, they go on road trips, she loves being outside, and on the beach. “Letting her see what it is to be a normal dog… it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of it, and luckily I have the freedom, and the time,” said Jonathan.
