Palina Williams, 31, was sentenced September 25 in Indiana County Court to serve up to one day less than two years in jail, plus four years of probation, WDAD reported. She had pleaded guilty in the case of Denali, a dog found along a Green Township road in February with two pelvic fractures and chicken bones in the stomach.

What Williams pleaded guilty to in July

Williams pleaded guilty in July to one count of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of cruelty to animals, according to WCCS. She also pleaded guilty to one count each of intimidation of a witness and designing or copying obscene material.

WTAJ, describing the plea, reported that on February 20 Williams wanted to get rid of the dog and asked a friend to shoot the animal. The friend refused. Williams then left the dog on the side of a road before telling the friend. Earlier reports and WDAD’s sentencing story describe that request differently. They say Williams asked the person to kill or abandon the dog.

Once Williams learned the friend had gone to police, she posted partially nude photos of the friend online to keep that person from talking to investigators, according to WCCS and WTAJ.

How Denali was found

WTAJ reported that the friend and others looked for the dog. Police said a passerby found the dog February 21 on Valley Road in Green Township. At a veterinary clinic, staff found the two pelvic fractures and “a ton” of chicken bones, WJAC and CBS Pittsburgh reported.

When troopers filed charges in February, they said Williams admitted trying to kill the dog by feeding the animal chicken bones before abandoning Denali by the road, according to WJAC and CBS Pittsburgh. Investigators also said a vehicle later hit the dog. The accounts of the July plea mention the chicken bones in Denali’s stomach but don’t say Williams fed them to the dog.

Case timeline

  • February 20 to 24: The dog is abandoned along a road, found the next day on Valley Road in Green Township and taken to a veterinarian. On February 24, state police charge and arrest Williams, who is held on $100,000 bail.
  • March 26: After a preliminary hearing, Magisterial District Judge Anthony Sottile III holds eight charges for court and dismisses an invasion of privacy count.
  • July: Williams pleads guilty to five counts.
  • September 25: A judge sentences Williams to up to one day less than two years in jail and four years of probation.

Denali’s care

Nicole’s Furry Feline Rescue took in the dog, now named Denali. In March, the rescue said Denali was getting ongoing veterinary care and had passed the chicken bones, WJAC and CBS Pittsburgh reported. The same post, as described by CBS, said Denali was in severe pain and didn’t want to eat or get up. Buddylio didn’t find a public update on Denali after the sentencing.

Sources

How we reported this: The sentence comes from WDAD’s September 26 report; Buddylio couldn’t open the county court docket, and the report doesn’t give a minimum term. Charges and the March 26 ruling come from the magisterial district court docket. State police described Williams in March as a Clymer resident; that news release is no longer at its original web address. The sentencing report lists Colver, and the ZIP code on the district court docket matches Colver.