A Michigan veterinarian was sentenced to 10 days in jail Monday for refusing to return a dog to a homeless man after finding the ailing pit bull mix tied to a truck in 2024.

Amanda Hergenreder, from Millington, Michigan, was convicted of misdemeanor larceny and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to the dog's owner, Chris Hamilton. The sentencing took place in Grand Rapids, where Judge Angela Ross rejected the defense's request for community service instead of jail time.

Why It Matters

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, the number of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States reached a record 256,610 in 2023. Research suggests that up to 25 percent of unhoused individuals

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