A couple, formerly of Erskine, was sentenced recently Polk County District Court on separate court dates for animal cruelty in connection with the hunting dog-breeding operation they ran.
Rebecca Rae Thompson, 34, and Mikki Jay Johnson, 36, both of Mankato, each pleaded guilty to 29 misdemeanor counts of overwork/mistreatment of animals-cruelty and were sentenced to 90 days with Tri-County Community Corrections. All but 10 days was stayed for one year and they were places on probation for a year. Each was fined $1,000 plus other fees and must jointly pay restitution of $1,933.22 for the animals' medical expenses.
Another stipulation of the sentences: Both Thompson and Johnson must forfeit any ownership interest of animals and may not breed, raise, board or train animals again, or they could serve more jail time.
According to the criminal complaint, the Polk County Sheriff's Office received a neglect report regarding the couple's rural Erskine dog-breeding, training and boarding operation, Soaring Eagle Setters, in late June 2009. The complaint alleged that the dogs barked incessantly at all hours and were kept in a tin shed with no ventilation or windows. Thompson and Johnson ran the business out of Johnson's father's farm.
Deputies visited the kennel on June 29 and found the allegations to be true, and then some. While two dogs from the house appeared to be healthy, those in the shed were not. All were underweight, some with bones protruding from the skin, and suffering from diarrhea. Deputies noted that two appeared to be near death. Most were covered in feces and urine. The strong odor from the unventilated building made one of the deputies sick, he said. The food and water dishes also had urine and feces in them. The dogs were later found to be lacking the appropriate immunizations.
Thompson claimed she adequately fed the 29 dogs, cleaned their kennels twice weekly and used a veterinarian from a nearby town regularly for shots and check-ups. After talking to the vet, however, deputies found this to be false, as he said he'd only seen one dog one time in the past, for her pregnancy.
Johnson blamed the poor economy for not being able to keep up with the animals' care.
Another vet evaluated the dogs and, on a scale from 1-5, rated almost all of their body conditions 1 to 1½. Only four were rated higher. The vet noted that the conditions in which the animals were kept are a breeding ground for parasites.
Authorities asked Thompson and Johnson if they would give up ownership of the dogs, to which Johnson said he would “put them down” before giving them up. Thompson, on the other hand, said deputies could take some of the dogs because they wouldn't make good hunting dogs anyway, so she didn't care about them.
The couple wanted to contest seizing 14 of the animals, a contention they lost. The Pennington County Humane Society in Thief River Falls took in all of the dogs, many of which were adopted. One dog was in such poor condition, it had to be euthanized. Another barely survived and will likely suffer lasting effects.
In both Thompson and Johnson's court files is a letter written by Kristine Loeffler, a volunteer at the animal shelter. She asked that they be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and that they never be allowed to breed, raise, sell or train animals ever again.
“Too many times crimes such as these are punished with a slap of the hand,” she wrote.
Thompson theft
Thompson was also sentenced on a felony theft by swindle charge, which she'd pleaded guilty to in exchange for dismissing charges of theft by false representation and check forgery. She was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, stayed for five years, and 30 days with TCCC. She was placed on five years supervised probation and must pay fines and fees totaling $113 ant restitution of $3,500.
The complaint states that in July 2008, Thompson opened an account with American State Bank in Erskine with a $3,500 check from a business and bank in Rhode Island. Within three days, she had withdrawn all but $50 from the account. Three days after the account was opened, however, the bank was notified that the Rhode Island bank did not honor the check.
Thompson promised to take care of the check and claimed it was for commissions she earned from a job with an ad agency. By October, though, the situation hadn't yet been resolved after several go-arounds between bank employees and Thompson. The PCSO then became involved and a sheriff's deputy began investigating. The purported employer said Thompson had quit her job abruptly in May and had never received a commission check for more than $400 and never from the firm on the check. The ad agency, in fact, never did business with the firm, which is a legitimate business.
Thompson claimed she received the check by UPS and did not forge it. She thought it to be suspicious but, needing money, cashed it. She told the investigator she considered the money to be a short-term loan from the bank.
