Animal cruelty charges refiled against Gilbert kennel owners

ARIZONA -- A Maricopa County grand jury has reinstated felony animal cruelty charges against the owners of a Gilbert dog kennel where 21 dogs were found dead and four others injured nearly a year ago.

Jesse Hughes, 32, and Maleisa Hughes, 45, each face 21 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office said on Wednesday.

A grand jury originally charged the Hugheses on Oct. 13, but the charges were dropped Dec. 22, though the pair still faced one count each of fraud in the case.

 

The Hugheses said the dogs died of heat exhaustion after one of the animals chewed through an electrical cord to the air-condition unit. The owners were not at home when the deaths happened at Green Acre Dog Boarding on June 21.

An arraignment on the current charges will be June 3.

(KPHO/KTVK - May 6, 2015)

Earlier:

• Families looking for answers after dogs die at Gilbert boarding facility
• Death of 21 dogs crammed into one un-air-conditioned room at Phoenix-area kennel investigated
• Owners of dogs who died at kennel speak out, call for justice