Mpls. woman who tried to mail puppy wants it back

Stacey Champion has been charged with animal cruelty for trying to mail a puppy from Minneapolis to Georgia last week. But now she wants the dog back.

Sgt. Angela Dodge of the Minneapolis Police Department says Champion appealed the animal cruelty citation and will likely have a hearing Friday or Monday. The hearing will determine whether she can keep the puppy or if it will go up for adoption.

If she loses the appeal, there will likely be a long list of potential new homes for the dog, Dodge said. As has been the case with other celebrity animals, the calls are already coming into the Minneapolis 311 phone line asking if the puppy, named Guess, is available for adoption.

In cases like this, Dodge said, people line up the day of the adoption and animal shelter staff take down everyone's information.

"We draw names. It's that simple," Dodge said. "Whoever wins, wins."

Clerks became suspicious of the package Champion dropped off last week. They called postal inspectors, who opened the box and found the puppy.

The puppy's story is showing up on news websites across the country after the Star Tribune and several Twin Cities TV stations reported on it earlier this week.

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