Glendale woman sentenced to jail, banned from pets for allegedly stabbing dog's face

January 15, 2013

A 42-year-old Glendale woman was banned from owning any pets while on probation after pleading no contest to allegedly stabbing her Shiba Inu dog multiple times while high on cough syrup, officials said.

Merry Jane Clift was sentenced on Thursday to 28 days in jail after being given credit for time already served for the alleged attack on Dec. 28, according to Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Patrick Hegarty also ordered Clift to serve three years of formal probation.

While on probation, Clift is prohibited from owning any pets and must complete 30 days of community service and psychological counseling for animal cruelty, Robison said.

The Shiba Inu dog, “Huckleberry,” was taken away from her Clift and given to a relative, according to Robison.

Clift was charged with one felony count of animal cruelty after police said she stabbed Huckleberry around its eyes inside her apartment in the 100 block of Carr Drive, police said.

Officers walked into the apartment building about 2:14 a.m. that day and noticed a trail of blood to Clift's apartment, according to police.

They found Clift seated in the hallway in front of her apartment.

Soon after, officers saw the small brown dog stumble up a set of stairs, where they noticed several deep cuts on its face.

Clift allowed officers to enter her home, where they reported finding blood throughout her apartment and a bloodied kitchen knife with a 10-inch blade.

She allegedly told officers she hadn’t slept much that night when she woke up and stabbed her dog in the face with the knife, according to reports.

Clift claimed she was going through a challenging time due to child custody issues, according to police. She later withdrew her story, alleging she suffered a psychotic episode and didn’t remember what happened, police said.

The dog, which officials described as depressed and withdrawn after the attack, later recovered from its injuries at the Pasadena Humane Society, where it was sheltered from the public and other animals.

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.

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