Elvira, Severely Neglected Clinton Township Dog, Gets Justice

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI — Three Clinton Township residents who co-owned Elvira, a Shih Tzu found last fall with a missing paw and hair so matted she couldn’t see out of her one good eye, have pleaded no contest to animal torture charges and will be sentenced to up to four years in prison on April 28.

The dog, named Elvira by the team at Advanced Animal Emergency who saved her life, was found roaming the streets of Clinton Township on Oct. 31 by Macomb County Animal Control. Besides her physical injuries and hair matted with feces, the dog had other health issues as well, including broken bones in her hind legs and deep skin ulcerations.

She required extensive care, and Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said at the time felony animal cruelty charges were filed against the three responsible for the dog’s care — Christopher Penn, 36; Sonja Sturdivant, 49, and Demico Knight Jr., 21 — that she was the “dog version of Cinderella.”

“There was another dog in the house that lived upstairs, that was taken on daily walks, that was treated the way any other dog should be treated,” Smith said, according to a report on WWJ/CBS Local. “But for some reason – this sweet little dog was left in the basement in its own filth, never taken outside and hardly fed at all and left to wither away.

“One look at this poor creature will break your heart, and fill you with anger at the individuals who allowed this to take place,” Smith said.

Keyshia White, a veterinary tech at Advanced Animal Emergency, told Patch in November that despite her deteriorating health, Elvira was in good spirits after she was rescued.

“She’s playing with us, giving us kisses and eating like a champ,” White said at the time.

Elvira has been adopted, according to the Macomb County Animal Shelter.

Before and after photos of Elvira courtesy of Keyshia White