Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Texas: Convicted animal hoarder Brenda Luellen (Brenda Kenney) and her husband Arthur Kenney have neglected animals seized again

TEXAS -- A San Angelo woman found guilty on two occasions of animal cruelty was arrested after city officials seized more animals from her husband's apartment.

Brenda Luellen (Brenda Kenney), 59, was booked into the Tom Green County Jail late Tuesday morning on a parole violation, jail officials said Wednesday.

It is the third time animals were removed from Luellen's or her husband's residence.




Shelter director Julie Vrana said animal service officials picked up 11 Pekingese and shih tzus on Tuesday from an apartment complex in the 500 block of Paint Rock Road. Luellen's husband, Arthur Kenney, was living at the residence. Vrana said the animals were under his direct care.

"We went out and looked at them and determined that we needed to seize these dogs," she said. "They weren't in the best of care."

Chief City Marshal John Gonzales said deputies were called by the city's probation department about the animals. Once at the apartment, deputies called animal services for a welfare check on the dogs.

No one at Frai Management, the apartment complex officers were called to, could be reached for comment.


Judge Jay Daniel signed a search and seizure warrant, which allowed officials to enter the apartment and remove the dogs.

Vrana said animal services received a call that morning and had all the dogs out of the apartment and at the animal shelter by about 3 p.m.

"We've vaccinated them, and they're being cared for," Vrana said. "They have food and water, and we're holding them until we have a court date."

In April 2008 city officials removed 69 dogs from Luellen's home in the 6000 block of Kingsbridge Drive.


In May 2009 animal services returned to the house and retrieved 53 more dogs.

A supervisor with the probation department said he could not comment on the case.

Gonzales said the investigation is ongoing.

It was not clear Wednesday whether Luellen was present at the apartment when the dogs were seized.

"When I was there, she was not there," Vrana said.


Arthur Kenney

For the 2008 charge of cruelty to nonlivestock animals, Luellen was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay $18,625 in restitution.

For the 2009 charge, Luellen was sentenced to one year in county jail - but only ended up serving about 4 months before she was released and then finished her sentence on unspervised probation.

The animal cruelty offense is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine up to $4,000.

(Standard Times - Dec. 1, 2010)

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