FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY DISMISSED – State v. Mr. W and Ms. B (DMC No. 10935; 10941) (Arrowhead Justice Court JC2011-146451; JC2011-146451): Mr. W and Ms. B were husband and wife who volunteered to foster sick animals for the Arizona Humane Society. These were animals that were too weak or sick to be kept on the Humane Society’s floor. Three puppies were brought to their house and were cared for for 6 days. Ms. B heard one of the dogs whimpering, and she came into her kitchen to find one puppy near death, and another one severely injured. She assumed her own German Sheppard got into the kitchen and attacked the puppies.

Subsequently, both husband and wife were interrogated by Maricopa County Sheriffs Officers and they were arrested and charged with Felony Animal Cruelty per Arizona Revised Statute ARS 13-2910. We were able to show that Ms. B had called the Humane Society’s hotline 8 separate times (without success) in order to get help and instructions prior to taking the animals into the 24 hour Emergency Animal Hospital. The Prosecutor agreed that the charges were excessive, and they were ultimately dismissed.