Kisha Curtis, charged with fourth-degree cruelty to animals, appeared in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Wednesday morning. Curtis had received a waiver from her last court hearing because she was having a baby, and incorrectly believed the same applied at Tuesday's hearing.
A followup court hearing was scheduled for July 9.
The dog, known as Patrick the pit bull, was found near-death at the bottom of the trash chute on St. Patrick's Day last year.
Prosecutors say the 27-year-old from Albany tied the dog to a railing in her former Newark apartment building last March and left the state for more than a week.
Patrick's plight and recovery sparked a worldwide outpouring of support.
Curtis is reportedly applying for a pretrial intervention program, which would wipe the criminal charge from her record.
She rejected a state plea offer that called for up to 18 months in prison, a $5,000 fine and 30 days' community service.
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