CONWAY -- A Myrtle Beach woman charged with cruelty to animals last July was found guilty and sentenced Tuesday in Horry County Magistrate's Court.
Ellyn Johnson, 33, was sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined $1092 by Horry County Magistrate Bradley Mayers.
Johnson was charged in July 09 with ill treatment of animals and torture after police said she abandoned two dogs at her home and left them to die.
The dogs were found dead behind the home where Johnson lived in the Forrestbrook area.
The house was reportedly foreclosed on and the man who found the dogs was preparing it for re-sale.
Johnson decided to have a bench trial today instead of a jury trial in the future.
Johnson sat by herself in the courtroom as judge Brad Mayers looked at photos of her two dead dogs.
Johnson's self proclaimed former best friend Shelly Passaro said she became concerned the dogs were in danger after not seeing them for several months.
Passaro testified she found the dogs with Johnson in July in their crates, with their eyes gone.
“It’s unthinkable. Unthinkable. I mean, I’m the only one that looked in the cage and to see what I saw it was just unfathomable. I couldn't believe what I saw,” said Passaro.
Johnson told the judge she gave the dogs away to a man she found on Craigslist after her home was going to be foreclosed while her husband was working as a contracted firefighter in Iraq.
But Johnson could not name the person she gave her dogs to and could not provide his phone number, email address, or house address during her testimony.
After the conviction, Johnson then argued with the judge that she didn't think she was going to stand trial today and didn't understand why she was in so much trouble.
(Transcript from courtroom)
Judge Mayers: Did you see the media here?
Johnson: I actually, I saw News 13 in the corner and I said to the gentleman next to me, News 13 is here, I didn't know it was that big.
Judge Mayers: So you didn't think it was going to be a trial today?
Johnson: No sir, I didn't
Judge Mayers called Johnson’s testimony inconsistent.
Passaro says the judge was too lenient though with his ten day sentence. She says Johnson should spend more time locked up like she did to her dogs.
Johnson was not available for comment after the trial.
She was immediately taken to jail by the police.
Johnson had no family or friends with her in the court room.
Passaro says Johnson’s husband has separated from her and he will take care of their daughter while she's in jail.
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