Washington: Jennifer Jenkins, 44, Convicted of Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty

WASHINGTON -- A woman charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after volunteers, fire crews and code-enforcement officers worked to pull a young horse from a muddy pasture on her property was convicted Nov. 1 in Lewis County District Court.

Jennifer Jenkins speaks with public defender Joely O'Rourke
during a first-appearance hearing in Lewis County District
Court in April. Photo: Pete Caster

Jennifer Jenkins, right, leaves her Lewis County District
Court hearing at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center
in Chehalis last April. Photo: Pete Caster

Jennifer M. Jenkins, of Onalaska, was found guilty after a jury trial of nine counts of animal cruelty with each count referring to a different horse, according to court documents.

A judge ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. Her sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

The maximum penalty for animal cruelty, charged as a gross misdemeanor, is 365 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Misdemeanor animal cruelty generally applies to cases of negligence, while felony animal cruelty applies to cases in which a person intends to do harm to an animal, according to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.

Jenkins was charged April 7, two days after fire crews, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies and county staff responded to a report of a horse stuck in mud at Jenkins’ property in the 2500 block of state Route 508 near Onalaska.

The next day, authorities seized nine horses from the property, and placed them in temporary foster homes.

 

 

 

 

Photos: Pete Caster

(Centralia Chronicle - Nov 10, 2016)

Earlier:

• Washington: Jennifer Jenkins, 44, Facing Nine Animal Cruelty Charges for her starving horses