Macomb County woman who broke puppy's bones, threw him in river takes plea deal

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Macomb County woman who broke her puppy's bones and threw him in the Clinton River in January has taken a plea deal.

Amber Sunde, 26, is accused of badly abusing the puppy, who has since been adopted by an officer close to the case and named Finn.

"One of the witnesses said that every time she would throw him into the river he would crawl out to her, so even though he suffered horrific abuse at her hands he still crawled to her, he still wanted to be with her," said Theresa Sumpter, the executive director of Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue.

Finn will eventually need to have his leg amputated because of the injuries he endured. 

"He is very scared so if you raise your voice, make fast movements he’ll urinate on himself. He crouches down a lot. He shakes. He is scared," Sumpter said. "How much abuse did that dog endure behind closed doors?"

Sunde will be sentenced next week. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office provided her with a plea deal after a doctor diagnosed her with mental illness.

"We do have compassion for people that have mental illness. There also has to be consequences," Sumpter said.

Macomb Country Prosecutor Peter Lucido said Sunde is required to do counseling, take medication, report to mental health court weekly, and pay $6,000 in restitution.  

"Our office is not only supposed to be punitive in nature but also rehabilitate in nature," Lucido said. "She has a lot of hurdles to overcome. All terms and conditions must be met, otherwise she goes down on a felony."

A judge will decide Sunde's fate next week. She could potentially face jail time for the abuse.