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Animal cruelty suspect has date in court |
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Friday, 18 July 2008 |
Breeder charged with 85 counts of abuse of animals
A Saline County dog breeder who has been charged with 85 counts of animal cruelty will be appearing in court next month, Saline County sheriff’s Capt. Scotty Courtney said Thursday.
Charged with the offenses is Phyliss Martin of 1224 W. Col. Glenn Road.
Martin reportedly has been breeding dogs for more than 20 years.
Deputy Lisa Yates said she and Kay Simpson of the Pulaski County Humane Society went to Martin’s property near Paron in northern Saline County on July 10.
Simpson said she already had been to the residence July 7 and had taken 37 dogs.
Simpson told the deputy that because of the condition the remaining dogs were in, she planned to remove them that day.
Simpson spoke with Martin, who agreed to allow Simpson to take the 48 animals that were at the residence that day, Yates’ report noted.
The dogs reportedly were in pens where there was no food or water and their hair was severely matted. They were infested with fleas and ticks and some were unable to see, the report said.
Some of the dogs had to have surgical procedures to remove their eyes, authorities said.
Martin is scheduled to enter a plea to the charges in Saline County District Court on Aug. 14. If she pleads innocent, a trial date will be set, Saline County Prosecutor Ken Casady said.
Martin, who owns Phephe’s Poodles, has claimed that her declining health prohibited her from providing proper care for the dogs. She says she suffers from emphysema and other respiratory disorders.
She also said she has been hospitalized twice this year.
Simpson said the incident was “really bad” and could not think of a situation where the animals were in worse condition.
“One of the dogs that Simpson found confined in a cage recently gave birth to seven puppies,” Simpson said. Two had died and the other five were kept in a cage with the dead siblings, feces and urine, she said.
Simpson reportedly was alerted to the situation by two customers who had visited Martin’s business at her home in Moody Hollow, a rural area about 25 miles northwest of Benton.
Many of the dogs’ coats had to be shaved because their hair was matted with feces. Others were anemic because of the severity of flea bites.
Many suffered from heartworm infestation, Simpson said.
All of the charges against Martin are misdemeanors since Arkansas does not have a felony animal cruelty law.
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