A judge sentenced a woman to 15 days in jail for freeing a crying cub from a bear trap.

Municipal Court Judge James Devine sentenced Catherine McCartney, 50, on Thursday, NJ.com reported. McCartney, who has a record of arrests related to bear hunt protests, pleaded guilty to obstructing “the administration of law and the prevention of the lawful taking of wildlife”.

McCartney, a dedicated animal rights activist, plans to appeal the sentence, relating to the incident in in Vernon, New Jersey.

In a statement she read in court, McCartney said she did not regret her decision in rescuing the bear cub from the painful trap.

“These animals are innocent and so I made the moral decision to let the bear go so he could run back to his mother, and it was the right thing to do,” she said.

First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Show all 30 1 /30 First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo The first pictures have been released of a polar bear cub that was born in Berlin's Tierpark Zoo on December 1. AP First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo The pictures were taken after the cub's first veterinary examination which revealed that the 11-week old is a female. AP First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo She is yet to be named and the zoo says that a name will not be announced until the cub and her mother Tonja are ready to make their first public appearance. AP First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo In recent years Tonja has given birth to two other cubs, though both died in infancy. Tierpark director Dr. Andreas Knieriem says that "infant mortality in polar bears is extremely high, especially within the first ten days of life. However we are all staying positive and keeping our fingers crossed for Tonja." AP First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo The pair have been living together in a birthing den where Tonja can raise her cub in privacy for the first few months. AP First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut, a polar bear at the nearby Zoo Berlin became hugely famous in 2006 when he was rejected by his mother at birth. He was able to survive by artificial incubation and developed a close relationship with his keeper. Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays at the Berlin Zoo in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays at the Berlin Zoo in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays at the Berlin Zoo in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut rests in his den at the Berlin Zoo in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays with his minder during his first public outing on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Photographers struggle to get a view of Knut at his first public appearance on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut on his first public outing on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut on his first public outing on March 23 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays with his minder during his first public outing on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut nuzzles with his minder during his first public outing on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays with his minder during his first public outing on March 23 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut in March 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut in March 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut at six months old plays with his keeper on June 22 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut at 11 months old in November 2007 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut on his first birthday on December 5 2007 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut bathes, January 2008 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut plays in hay in January 2008 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut at two years old in September 2009 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Polar bear Giovanna joins Knut in his enclosure in September 2009 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut and Giovanna, on loan from the Munich Zoo, play together in January 2010 AFP/Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut and Giovanna nuzzle in January 2010 Getty First pictures of the polar bear cub born in Berlin Zoo Knut Knut and Giovanna nuzzle in January 2010 Getty

The incident in question took place in October in a condominium complex. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said it installed two culvert traps inside the complex campus to capture a bear—known as “Momma Bear” by activists—following two incidents with residents. None of these incidents resulted in injury.

Mark Nagelhout, who helped McCartney free the cub, also plead guilty to the same charges. However, he did not receive a jail sentence since this was his first offence.