AUBURN, NY (607NewsNow) – An Auburn couple is being held accountable for animal abuse.
On April 22, 51-year-old Laura Hendrickson pled guilty to a single felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals in Cayuga County Court.
Hendrickson also pled guilty, mid-trial, to two counts of torturing or injuring animals/failure to provide proper sustenance and two counts of abandoning animals, all Class A misdemeanors. It follows a guilty plea to felony aggravated cruelty to animals on April 17 by 45-year-old Kenneth Sulgar.
The couple was indicted in September 2025. As part of their pleas, the pair admitted to intentionally confining a puppy in a crate for 15 months and depriving it of food and water. The dog suffered malnourishment and foot rot, and her paws are permanently disfigured as a result. Another dog was also abandoned for 10 days while the couple’s home was condemned.
The injured dog, Astella, was fostered and ultimately adopted by a veterinarian from Highland Animal Hospital.
Hendrickson is facing up to two years behind bars, and Sulgar is expected to receive five years of felony probation. Sentencing is scheduled for June.
