Eagle Mountain woman facing alleged animal cruelty charges

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah – A 74-year-old woman is allegedly facing 16 charges of animal cruelty after the officers from the Utah County’s Sheriff’s Office found 16 dead dogs earlier this month.

According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, an additional 14 dogs, who were malnourished, were also taken from the home.

Police say, the woman had been hospitalized after suffering a fall. While she was in the hospital, her neighbors checked in on the house. They reported to authorities what they had discovered.

Police also say they have had an interaction with this woman in the past. In 2018, a total of 14 dogs were removed from the house. The woman was able to get four of those dogs back. That was the limit allowed under Eagle Mountain City ordinances. The remainder of those of dogs taken in the 2018 case were taken in by animal rescue services, according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

On another occasion, according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were denied by the woman to search her home. The deputies then obtained a search warrant to search the house. During the search, deputies noticed the smell of urine throughout the house. They also discovered 15 dead dogs inside a freezer. During the search, 14 additional dogs, who were still alive, were removed from the home.

In addition to the 16 charges of animal cruelty, each count is a Class A misdemeanor, the woman is also facing potentially 14 charges of Class B misdemeanor animal cruelty for the dogs that were alive.

Read more:

• Utah reports 1,056 animals illegally poached last year across state

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