Judge Hands Down Unusual Punishment To Woman Who Let Her Dog Live In Filth

This judge is known for giving sentences that are as unusual as they are creative. Recently, Judge Michael A. Cicconetti of the Painesville Municipal Court in Ohio applied one of his creative punishments on a woman who left her dog, Moose, in a dirty, “hoarder-style” house.

He decided to give the accused pet owner, a taste of her own medicine and make her feel what her dog had felt, by spending time in the stinkiest, smelliest part of the local dump.

Judge Cicconetti told Alyssa Morrow – who had pleaded guilty to animal neglect and cruelty in relation to Moose – that he would ensure she was placed in the worst smelling part of the landfill. “If you puke, you puke,” he said.

Listen to this judge’s punishment in the audio clip below:

“I definitely didn’t think I’d be here [at a dump], but I’d rather be here than jail,” Morrow told ABC Nightline, who accompanied her to the dump. “I can’t complain.”

As for Moose? He’s since recovered and has been adopted!




Judge Ciccconetti’s creative sentencing is something that he’s done for years, and he says it gets results. He apparently has a 10 per cent repeat offense rate – compared to a much higher national average of 75 per cent.

Some of his other sentences have been ordering a teen to walk 30 miles for taking a cab the same distance without paying, and having a man who solicited a prostitute dress up in a chicken suit. You can see more about Judge Cicconetti and Moose’s case in the video below.

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