PREV
NEXT
A Colorado man who left his dog on top of a 14er last August was sentenced on Wednesday to a year of probation and 30 hours of community service. Anthony Ortolani pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty last October for leaving his German shepherd mix Missy near the summit of Mt. Bierdstadt for over a week after the weather turned during a hike.
The 112-pound dog was later found by hikers Scott and Amanda Washburn, who assembled an eight-person team to rescue the dog. When Ortolani tried to recover the animal, Clear Creek authorities filed charges against him. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to give up the dog, now named Lucky, to one of her rescuers. Had the case gone to trial, Ortolani could have faced up to 18 months in jail and $5,000 in fines.
For more on the story, read "A Dog Left to Die"
