A woman accused of throwing a bag full of 3-day-old puppies into a dumpster behind a Coachella auto parts store in April was taken into custody on Thursday during a court appearance that also saw the judge raise her bail.
The attorney for Deborah Sue Culwell, 54, made the argument in court that “puppies are not people.” That argument didn’t seem to work with the judge as Culwell was later taken into custody (she had been out on bail) after the decision was made to raise her bail to $50,000, according to the Desert Sun. Prosecutors had argued for the bail increase.
Culwell pleaded not guilty to the accusations. If convicted, she could serve up to seven years in prison.
