Judy Camp, a Washington woman who claimed she "rescued" a blue heeler from neglectful and dangerous conditions, has been acquitted of theft charges filed after she took the dog last December. Camp would have faced up to three years in prison had she been convicted of stealing the dog, who she has since named Tank, but she still isn't entirely in the clear -- Camp was also indicted on obstruction charges for lying to a police officer during the investigation of Tank's disappearance, and she was convicted on one count last Friday. She now faces up to a year in jail and a fine of $5,000.
Previously, Camp refused to accept a plea bargain in the theft case, maintaining that she did nothing wrong by taking Tank, formerly named Duke, from his owners, the Magruders. According to Camp, the Magruders had left the dog tied to a trailer bed "in a sea of garbage" for three years, and she was simply trying to rescue him from neglectful conditions. After taking the blue heeler, who was massively overweight, arthritic and scarred, Camp was able to reach an agreement with the Magruders, paying them $500 to adopt Tank permanently.