Patricia Jackson of Highway 31 West was charged with one count of animal cruelty and two counts of breaking the rabies vaccination law. Her husband, David Jackson, was charged with one count of animal cruelty.
When reached by phone Friday, Patricia Jackson cited bad timing and poor health as the reasons for the charges.
“I’m not a puppy mill,” she said. “Those have 40 or 50 dogs or better. I can’t help it that I got sick and the economy went bad. I’m not a mean person.”
She said she was contacted by a client who wanted a new dog, but then the woman notified authorities after visiting her home.
“Cruelty, to me, is when you beat … them,” Jackson said. “I’ve been in the hospital four times, so I’m not breeding (animals) anymore because of my health. I can tell you that some of the dogs needed attention, but I was just trying to find homes for my babies.”
Jackson said she suffers from heart problems and rheumatoid arthritis. She hasn’t bred her dogs in the past four years, she said, adding that before her health problems began, she bred them only once a year.
Deputies found 25 dogs in two separate buildings.
Adoptions planned
Sgt. Sean Ryan said the couple surrendered the animals, which were Yorkies and Shih Tzus.
“We’re going to adopt out as many as we can from here, and some others will probably be going to a rescue,” Ryan said.
The Jacksons also had two Shih Tzus as pets.
“They wanted to hang on to the two house dogs, which were Shih Tzus,” Ryan said. “We took them also, and it will be up to the judge to decide if they get those two house dogs back.”
The couple will be in court Friday to face the misdemeanor charges and could face up to 11 months, 29 days in jail, Ryan said.
(The Tennesseean - Sept 8, 2012)
