Brenda Luellen, who was convicted last month on an animal cruelty charge dating to April 2008, pleaded not guilty Thursday to a health code violation and a violation of the city's new pet ordinance in connection with other complaints filed in May.
A city legal official filed the complaints Wednesday, charging Luellen with keeping or harboring more than seven dogs without a valid multi-pet owner's permit, which is a violation under a recently passed city ordinance. She is also charged with keeping animals in a place that is "filthy, malodorous or unsanitary."
This year's charges do not take evidence from last year's animal seizure into account, said Amie Hajovsky, a prosecutor with the city's legal department. She declined to comment on the charges.
Last year Luellen pleaded no contest to a charge of "waste in pens or yard" and paid $195 in fine and court costs, according to court administrator Linda Gossett. Luellen also pleaded no contest to a second residential zoning violation and paid $360 in fine and court costs.
"If they go to trial, that figure can change," Gossett said. If convicted, the health code violation is punishable by a fine up to $500. If the court determines the violation was done recklessly, the fine can be as much as $2,000.
Violating the multiple-pet ownership ordinance could result in a fine of up to $500.
(Standard Times - July 24, 2009)
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