Anne Arundel Woman Sentenced In Animal Cruelty Plea Deal

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- A Severna Park woman has been fined $2,000 for causing unnecessary pain and suffering to cats.

Deanna Lusko, 50, was sentenced Tuesday in Annapolis.

The Anne Arundel County state's attorney's office says the former owner of Cool Cats Rescue entered an Alford plea to five counts of causing unnecessary pain and five counts of failing to provide veterinary care.

In an Alford plea, the defendant doesn't admit guilt but acknowledges the state has enough evidence for a conviction.
Animal control officers seized 67 cats from the cat rescue in September. They also removed two dead cats from the property.

Lusko also was ordered to get mental health treatment. The judge suspended about 2 1/2 years of jail time and instead placed her on probation for five years.

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