COLUMBIA COUNTY -- A 56-year-old woman accused of abusing and abandoning a dog just north of Portage has been arrested, the Columbia County Sheriff's Department announced Friday night.
Terri Lynn Benson is being held at the Columbia County Jail on charges of Mistreating Animals and Abandoning Animals. She is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
A release from the sheriff's department says Benson turned herself in "as a direct result of the wide range media and social media coverage" of the abandoned dog.
"Misty" was found abandoned in a camping bag in the Town of Fort Winnebago. She was immediately examined, and found to be in very poor condition. The dog had a large mammary tumor, and needed 19 staples to close the wounds on her head.
"We are furious this dog suffered whatever trauma she suffered and was discarded like trash," the Columbia County Humane Society said in a Facebook post.
If you'd like to help Misty, contact the Humane Society at 608-742-3666 or click/tap here to find a donation link.
