Mpls. woman accused of trying to mail puppy appears in court

A woman charged with attempting to mail a puppy to Atlanta made a court appearance Monday in Minneapolis.

Stacey Champion, 39, had admitted putting Guess, a 5-month-old schnauzer-poodle mix, in the mail as a gift for her 11-year-old son in Atlanta in January. Workers at the Loring Station in downtown Minneapolis intercepted the dog as it panted in a sealed box. Officials said the pooch would have died before it reached Atlanta.

Champion lost ownership of Guess and faces misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. The dog was adopted last month.

Champion's next court hearing will be April 12. The judge ordered her not to have any pets.

She was represented in court by University of Minnesota law professor Steve Simon and one of his students.

Champion declined to comment.

DAVID CHANEN