Kelly Miles and her daughter, Beth Schreiber, were each charged with five counts of failure to have dogs immunized and six counts of animal neglect and cruelty.
Those charges stemmed from a November incident where six dogs were rescued from a home near Kanawha which was allegedly infested with fleas.
The dogs were released into the care of Patriots for Pets, Clear Lake, with the understanding the owners would have a week to fix the conditions in the home and the dogs then would be returned.
The owners did not come forward to claim the pets and they were put up for adoption by Patriots after getting the legal go-ahead from Kanawha City Attorney Earl Hill.
Under a plea agreement, the women agreed to plead guilty to one count of failure to immunize the dogs and one count of neglect and cruelty. In exchange, the rest of the charges were dismissed.
Magistrate Rolf Aronsen issued a court order Thursday barring Miles and Schreiber from "owning, keeping, sheltering or harboring any dog" until Feb. 12, 2020.
After that time, if either woman wishes to keep a dog, she must contact the Hancock County sheriff.
Miles and Schreiber claimed Patriots for Pets owner Debbie Kern lied about the conditions in the home.
"We were taking care of the dogs. They slander people," Miles said.
Schreiber expressed concern about her personal safety since she now can't own a dog.
"Who is going to protect me now that my guard dog is gone?" she asked after Thursday's sentencing hearing.
The women claimed two of the six dogs surrendered to Patriots did not belong to them. They also denied statements that fleas were a major problem in the home and claimed someone else was responsible for breaking the ribs of one of the dogs.
"It's a victory for dogs today," Kern said. "We are thankful the court was willing to issue a five-year order."
Hill said it was a good outcome.
The women face fines of between $65 and $625 on each count and up to 30 days in jail on each count.
(Globe Gazette - Feb 12, 2015)
