Sounds like they're giving her deferred sentencing - which means as long as she doesn't get arrested in the next year, ALL THE CHARGES will be wiped from her record as though it had never happened. As though she didn't abuse and neglect all of these animals. Don't their lives (and deaths) count, Massachusetts??
Beatrice A. Nielsen, 50, of 38 Silver St., Auburn, was sentenced Monday to ONE YEAR of unsupervised probation and was forbidden from having animals for one year. Ms. Nielsen will undergo a mental health evaluation and pay $5,000 restitution to the Webster Animal Control program as part of the plea agreement.
She had faced 29 counts of animal cruelty.
Authorities confiscated 29 neglected animals and found a dead dog with trash on Aug. 17 at 6 Cody St., where Ms. Nielsen maintained animals she had rescued.
Police, health and animal control officials went to the Cody Street home when a foul odor was reported in the neighborhood. One by one, authorities removed dogs, cats and birds - some of whom were in kennels that officials said were too small - from what they said were unsanitary conditions.
Deplorable conditions were found with animal feces and urine throughout the residence and the crates in which some animals were contained. The ammonia levels in the home and the wall-to-wall feces and urine resulted in Codes Enforcement condemning the residence.
(In a different article, Nielsen claims to have paid $32,000 to have the home professionally cleaned in order to move back into it.)
Many followers on the Facebook page "Friends of Webster Animal Control" asserted that the decision was a slap on the wrist and that cruelty against animals wasn't being taken seriously.
Animal Control Officer Michelle A. Lafleche told a reporter, "I think we all were a little disappointed with the judgment."
Ms. LaFleche said the restitution did not represent all of the expenses from Ms. Nielsen's case.
Webster Animal Control has paid $5,000 to date in veterinary bills, she said, and there are ongoing expenses for six dogs.
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| Nielsen said she got "a little behind" in cleaning. Does your house look like this? When we're "a little behind" in our cleaning, it usually means we need to do the laundry, pick up and do some dishes - NOT shovel a floor full of feces out of the dining room! . |
"We’re still supporting the dogs and we have ongoing vet bills and we’re making arrangements to get their vaccinations before we can adopt them out," Ms. Lafleche said.
The restitution also doesn’t include what the Animal Rescue League of Boston paid in vet bills for dogs it took on Webster's behalf, she said.
Ms. Nielsen said in an interview that the disposition of her case, while seemingly favorable, was bittersweet. She said she had been punished throughout the process.
Yes, she's the victim... not all the animals she abused.
"My animal family is gone," she said. "Basically, the Webster animal control officer had control of all that, and she dispersed my family, and there’s no way I can get my family back, and I’m devastated."
She added, "My business has been destroyed. I had a phenomenal reputation and the judge saw that."
Many letters were sent in on her behalf.
Ms. Nielsen said she has been found guilty in the court of public opinion. She said her only fault was falling behind in the upkeep of the Cody Street property.
Ms. Nielsen said she continues to teach about two classes a week. She once taught 28 classes.
"I was never stopped (by the judge) from working with animals," she said. "They just said no animals for one year and I can’t breed and I can’t sell animals, which I never did in the first place. I've always been a rescue. I've never made money off selling animals. All I ever did was teach people how to educate their animals."
She said she's saved more than 900 dogs in 25 years, attempting to make dangerous dogs "more adoptable." But when the dog pounds ran out of money and had to euthanize them, she began to take those dogs in.
"Did things get out of control in the beginning?" she said. "Absolutely. People found out where I live and they were leaving dogs tied to my front trees. It was awful.
"I tried to, over the years, figure out a way that I could continue to rescue animals, but not by bringing them into my home. By becoming a teacher, I believe that that was the right direction for me to take. More than 50 percent of the animals I had were over 10 years old and had been with me for years because they couldn’t be placed. Many of them were dangerous.
"My biggest fault is I’m loyal to my word I promised them that I would give them sanctuary to the end of their lives," she said.
Although she lost custody of the animals, Ms. Nielsen was able to keep custody of her 16-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son. Because of the Webster charges, the state Department of Children and Families had opened a case against her. It has since been closed.
She said she's been receiving threatening phone calls and that grew worse after Monday's decision. She alleges one caller who was upset by the light sentence told her he would "take care of it."
"People are threatening to hurt me because the judicial system did not deem me jail-worthy, talking about hurting me," she said.
(Telegram - Nov 28, 2015)
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