An Auburn couple admitted to abusing a puppy over more than a year, leaving the animal permanently disfigured and severely malnourished, according to the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office.
Laura Hendrickson, 51, and Kenneth Sulgar, 45, both pleaded guilty in Cayuga County Court to aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony tied to conduct that spanned from November 2023 through March 2025.
Prosecutors said the pair confined a small mixed-breed puppy named Astella in a crate continuously for approximately 15 months, causing serious physical injury. The prolonged confinement led to severe pododermatitis and permanent disfigurement of the dog’s paws.
Hendrickson also pleaded guilty during trial to additional misdemeanor counts, including torturing or injuring animals, failure to provide proper sustenance, and abandonment of animals. Authorities said she deprived the puppy of necessary nourishment, leaving it severely underweight, and abandoned both Astella and another dog.
Sulgar entered his plea ahead of trial and is expected to receive five years of felony probation. Hendrickson faces a potential sentence of up to two years in prison when she is sentenced in June. Both defendants will be required to register with the Cayuga County Animal Abuser Registry.
The case was prosecuted by the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office with assistance from Auburn Police, Friends Forever Animal Rescue, and Highland Animal Hospital. Officials credited a veterinarian, identified as Dr. Ambrosia, with fostering and later adopting the dog.
District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci said the case underscores the seriousness of animal abuse and called for stronger penalties under state law.
“Animal abuse is not a minor offense—it is a deliberate act of harm against a vulnerable, living being,” she said, adding that current penalties do not go far enough to ensure accountability.
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