A Wake County woman charged with starving more than 20 horses and one dog pleaded guilty Friday to 10 counts of animal cruelty.
Janet Burleson, 64, faced nearly 80 years in prison after investigators found 22 horses and a Rottweiler dead from starvation on her property in January.
She was charged with 23 felony counts of killing an animal by starvation and one count of felony cruelty to animals. Warrants revealed a second Rottweiler survived by eating parts of the other dog.
District Judge Eric Chasse informed Burleson in court back in January that each of the charges has a maximum punishment of 39 months, which totals 78 years if convicted on all counts.
On Friday, Burleson pleaded guilty to 10 counts and took responsibility for the 22 horses and one dog that died on her Wake County farm.
She received an active prison sentence of 5-15 months for the 10 of 22 counts that she pleaded guilty to.
