A North Carolina woman accused of beating, kicking, and strangling her dog will serve no prison time after resolving her felony animal cruelty case through a plea deal.

On Aug. 10, 2026, Superior Court Judge Bob R. Cherry sentenced Ricki Lee Bullard to 36 months of supervised probation and suspended an 11-to-23-month prison sentence. Cherry also prohibited Bullard from having any animal in her care or custody during her probation and ordered her to pay $1,340.50 in court costs and prosecution fees.

Bullard’s case did not go to trial. Instead, it was resolved through a plea agreement involving the Craven County District Attorney’s Office, led by District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham, with Assistant District Attorney Jamie B. Askins involved in the prosecution.

Bullard was convicted of felony animal cruelty under North Carolina statute 14-360(b), a Class H felony that can carry significant prison time under the state’s structured sentencing guidelines.

Yet despite the shocking violence documented in this case, Bullard will not spend a day behind bars.

The court also declined to order restitution for investigative and animal care costs or require psychological counseling and treatment.

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

In Defense of Animals mobilized more than 11,341 supporters urging District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham and Assistant District Attorney Jamie B. Askins to pursue the strongest possible prosecution and seek the maximum penalties allowed by law.

Law enforcement acted swiftly to protect the dog and bring the case forward. But the justice system failed to deliver the level of accountability this violence demanded.

The Craven County District Attorney’s Office agreed to resolve the case through a plea rather than take it to trial. Judge Bob R. Cherry then imposed an 11-to-23-month prison sentence but suspended it, allowing Bullard to remain out of prison on supervised probation.

That means responsibility for this deeply disappointing outcome cannot be placed on one person alone.

District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham leads the office responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in Craven County. Assistant District Attorney Jamie B. Askins was involved in Bullard’s prosecution. Their office participated in the plea resolution that ended the case without a trial.

Judge Cherry was responsible for the sentence ultimately imposed and for the decision to suspend the prison term.

Tell Craven County: Animal Cruelty Deserves Real Consequences

People who are outraged that a case involving the beating, kicking, and strangling of a dog ended without incarceration can make their voices heard.

Supporters may respectfully contact the Craven County District Attorney’s Office and ask why a case involving such severe alleged violence was resolved through a plea agreement that ultimately resulted in no prison time. They can also urge District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham and Assistant District Attorney Jamie B. Askins to seek the strongest possible outcomes in future felony animal cruelty cases.

Superior Court Judge Bob R. Cherry
Carteret County Courthouse
300 Courthouse Square
Beaufort, NC 28516
Phone: (252) 639-3012

District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham did not ensure justice was delivered.

District Attorney Matthew T. Wareham
Assistant District Attorney Jamie B. Askins
Craven County District Attorney’s Office
Phone: (252) 639-3010
Email Assistant District Attorney Askins: jamie.b.askins@nccourts.org

Please remain respectful and focus on the outcome of the case, the seriousness of deliberate violence against animals, and the need for meaningful consequences.

Plea agreements are part of the criminal justice system, but they should not leave people wondering whether severe animal cruelty is being treated with the gravity it deserves. Prosecutors decide what resolutions they will accept. Judges decide what sentences to impose within the law. When the final result of a felony animal cruelty case is no incarceration, every decision that contributed to that outcome deserves scrutiny.

Strong animal cruelty laws mean little if people who violently abuse animals can avoid meaningful punishment.

The dog in this case deserved justice. Other animals who may be vulnerable to violence deserve protection. And the thousands of people who spoke out deserve to know that felony animal cruelty will be treated as the serious crime it is.

Please consider making a donation to help power our ongoing Justice for Animals investigations and advocacy, and learn more about our work to seek justice for animal victims, hold abusers accountable, and push for stronger protections for animals and communities nationwide.