Woman convicted of animal cruelty

Bronx, NY - For six long weeks, a young Pit bull was abandoned in a vacant apartment. For six excruciating weeks, the dog suffered without food or water.

The abandoned dog attempted to survive with what was in the vacant apartment - garbage, including splintered plastic, wood and razor blades.

It goes without saying, these items were not sufficient to sustain a life.

By the time that this dog was found in January 2010, the body was so wasted that ASPCA officials had to scrape it from the floor.

On Wednesday, the dog's owner, Cherika Alvarez, 30, was convicted of animal cruelty.

She "claims" that she left food and water for the dog before she walked away from the residence from which she had been evicted.

She "claims" that she asked someone (a neighbor whom she barely knew) to come and get the dog, but admits that she never followed up to ensure that her dog was safe.

Excruciating pain from dehyrdation and hunger - unimaginable loneliness and fear from a dog who had no idea why he had been left behind.

Alvarez will be sentenced on September 28. She may face up to one year in prison and a paltry $1000 fine.

A punishment woefully inadequate for the cruel neglect which her dog suffered thanks to her disregard.

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