Before they started serving 30 days of house arrest, Sabrina LaShell Bell, 30 and Jerry Bell, 36, spent two days in jail for their conviction involving an emaciated Rottweiler that was eventually put down.
In an unrelated case, Municipal Court Judge James S. Holland found Crystal Monique Milligan, 26, guilty of animal cruelty when animal control officers found three decomposing puppies in a kennel in her backyard.
"We are really trying to crack down on this," said Dep. Asst. Director Cole Freeman of the Horn Lake Animal Shelter.
In both the Milligan and Bell cases, callers tipped off officials and complained.
Animal Shelter director Frances Williams added, "We will not tolerate the abuse of any animal. We will pursue the maximum penalties and fines that can include jail time up to six months on each count."
While answering a call about a nursing mixed pit bull dog running loose in a neighborhood, animal shelter officials looked over the fence in Milligan's yard and saw flies swarming a small kennel covered by a blanket. After calling Horn Lake Police for backup, they found seven puppies — three had been dead for a week, and four were still alive.
"Once I took the blanket off, four little heads popped up. They were totally like cardboard — covered in dried feces, urine and decomposition from lying on top of their three dead siblings," Williams said. "The smell was horrendous. Seven puppies did not need to be in that kennel with no food or water."
Judge Holland sentenced Milligan to 90 days of house arrest, $2,128 in fines and court costs
and $410 in restitution to the Horn Lake Animal Shelter for the care and upkeep of the adult dog and the four surviving puppies. All five have been adopted.
In addition to animal cruelty, Milligan was convicted of failure to maintain sanitary conditions for animals, failure to exercise proper care and control, dog nuisance, no rabies tag, dog at large and two non-related vehicular misdemeanor counts. The judge ordered that Milligan cannot own any animals without prior approval and supervised visits by shelter officials.
Regarding the case against the Bells, an animal control officer first warned Sabrina Bell to feed and water the Rottweiler in their backyard. About a month later, the officers returned to the Bell home, where the owner refused to allow officers access to her backyard.
"We had to call the police. We borrowed a ladder to go over the chain-link fence. We fed him and took him straight to the vet," Freeman said. "He had flies and feces all over him."
The dog had developed edema, or fluid that had built up in his body. Eventually, the animal control officers had to put the dog down.
"We would take him out for his daily walk and he was so weak, his legs buckled and he was falling onto his face," Freeman said.
The judge ordered that the Bells not own any animals for a year and only after the approval of the Horn Lake Animal Shelter. He suspended 148 days in jail for the couple. In addition to house arrest, each of them must also pay $1,249.25 in fines and court costs.
The Bells were each convicted of animal cruelty, failing to provide vet care and failing to maintain sanitary conditions for an animal.
If the couple fails to complete house arrest, it will be extended to six months. Under house arrest, a person must wear an ankle bracelet that monitors movement.
They can leave home to go to work, but they must be home at all other times and have a land line telephone so that a probation officer can make random checks to see if they are meeting the conditions of house arrest.
(Commercial Appeal - Oct 14, 2012)
