NEW BERN, N.C. (Aug. 11, 2026) — A Craven County woman convicted of felony animal cruelty after a video showed her beating, kicking and strangling her dog has been sentenced to probation rather than prison, drawing criticism from In Defense of Animals.

Judge Bob Cherry on August 10 sentenced Bullard to 36 months of supervised probation, suspending an 11-to-23-month prison term. Cherry also barred her from having any animal in her care or custody for the duration of her probation and ordered her to pay $1,340.50 in court costs and prosecution fees.

Bullard was convicted of felony animal cruelty under North Carolina statute 14-360(b), a Class H offense that carries up to 39 months in prison under the state’s structured sentencing guidelines. The court declined to order restitution for investigative and animal care costs, or mandate psychological counseling and treatment.

The Craven County Sheriff's Office received a video on Jan. 5, 2026, reportedly showing Bullard beating, kicking and strangling the dog. Investigators with the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Bureau identified Bullard as the suspect. On January 6, deputies executed a search warrant at her residence, removed the dog seen in the video and placed them into protective custody. Bullard was arrested and charged.

In Defense of Animals submitted a letter to District Attorney Jamie B. Askins with more than 16,300 signatures supporting Bullard’s prosecution and maximum sentencing. While welcoming law enforcement’s swift action and the court’s ban on animal contact, the organization says the suspended sentence fell short of the accountability the law was designed to deliver.

“We applaud law enforcement for their swift action in this case and the court for ensuring Bullard can’t be around animals, at least during her probation, but it’s unfortunate that she won’t feel the full weight of North Carolina’s law intended to hold animal abusers accountable. Communities all over the country work incredibly hard to pass tougher laws, but they’re not being used to the full extent they could be. Victims of cruelty deserve justice and vulnerable members of the community deserve to be protected from harm,” said Doll Stanley, In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner.

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Contact: Doll Stanley, doll@idausa.org, (662) 809-4483

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters defending animals, the environment, and their guardians through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi, since 1983. www.idausa.org/justice4animals

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