MOUNT VERNON – Nearly six weeks after 46 dogs were seized from Pittie Paw Rescue in Butler Township, criminal charges were filed on Monday in Mount Vernon Municipal Court against rescue owner Kristin Beaupry.
Beaupry, 24, is charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, and six counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals, which are all first-degree misdemeanors, according to court records.
Five of the first-degree misdemeanor counts state that Beaupry “did negligently torture, torment, or commit an act of cruelty against the companion animal… by failing to provide medical care to the companion animal,” referencing the cases of specific dogs (Opal, Blue, Blackie, Franklin and Luther) in each count.
The other first-degree misdemeanor count states that Beaupry failed to provide a companion animal “with sufficient quantities of good, wholesome food and water,” and that the dog (named Bronx, in this case) could have become sick or suffered as the result of such deprivation.
The second-degree misdemeanor count states that Beaupry kept 11 dogs in an enclosure “without wholesome exercise and change of air.”
Each first-degree misdemeanor represents a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to 180 days in jail, while the second-degree misdemeanor could result in a maximum $750 fine and up to 90 days in jail. The court may also order Beaupry, if convicted, to surrender the dogs and pay for their confinement while they were in the county dog warden’s control, according to the charges.
The court has set an arraignment date for November 6 at 9:30 a.m.
There are three dates associated with the charges – August 29, September 6 and September 19. The August 29 counts deal with the lack of wholesome food or water present at the facility, as well as the lack of exercise and air flow for the dogs.
When County Dog Warden John Carhart first inspected the facility on August 27, according to Knox County Common Pleas Court records, he found 67 dogs. Seven of them were underweight.
Carhart also reported that the facility, located at 29710 Coshocton Road, had low airflow, “which was insufficient for the number of dogs and produced strong odors of dog urine and feces.” He found mold, a lack of lighting, and defects in kennel panels at the facility.
Carhart made weekly inspections of the facility from that point forward. He also gave Beaupry timelines for various improvements that needed to be made.
The September 6 count is tied to one dog in particular – Opal – who was surrendered by Beaupry on that date. Opal appeared to be in “poor health” at the time of surrender, court records state. Opal later had to be euthanized following an examination by a veterinarian. The dog was “suffering from systemic infection, hookworm, and ulcerations of the mouth and esophagus” and had not received veterinary care since February 23.
Opal was one of 17 dogs named in the charges.
On September 19, Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Wetzel ordered all dogs be seized from the facility after the warden concluded it would soon run out of water due to the neighboring property owner shutting off driveway access. With the help of local law enforcement, Carhart transported 46 dogs from the facility that day. Beaupry had previously surrendered 21 dogs between the time of the first inspection and the time of the seizure.
County Prosecutor Chip McConville filed a request on September 27 for an injunction against Beaupry, which prevented her from reclaiming 15 of the dogs seized from her facility on September 19. Under state law, an owner has the right to reclaim dogs 14 days after a court-ordered seizure occurs, unless the court orders otherwise.
This led McConville to request an injunction that would allow Carhart to maintain possession of the dogs (he said at the time that they were still being evaluated) and prevent Pittie Paw from reclaiming them. The injunction took precedence over the defendant’s right in this situation.
McConville stated in the injunction that Carhart believes the dogs “constitute evidence of negligent cruelty to companion animals.”
Both the September 6 and September 19 counts cover Beaupry’s alleged medical failures on behalf of the dogs, which amount to first-degree misdemeanors.
While Mount Vernon Law Director Rob Broeren could not be reached for comment by the time of this story’s publication, he told the Mount Vernon News this week that the dogs will be “part of the evidence” in the state’s case against Beaupry.
And while Carhart was unavailable Thursday for comment, a Knox County Animal Shelter spokesperson confirmed that all 67 Pittie Paw dogs have been through the shelter at some point since late August, as some have been adopted or transported to another rescue facility during that time.
There are still between 40-45 Pittie Paw dogs at the shelter, however, the spokesperson said. Approximately 17 are in custody, as they were seized via court order but not surrendered by Beaupry.
The spokesperson said that the Fredericktown Veterinary Clinic assisted the shelter in examining the rescue dogs, and that all dogs have been assessed at this point.
Knox Pages reached out to Beaupry for comment on September 19 via Facebook Messenger, and she responded on October 9.
“I suggest you check out the Knox County Dog Shelter,” Beaupry said. “They still have 40+ dogs from Pittie Paw Rescue who could use some good publicity to end up in a forever home!”
Beaupry is up against similar charges in Licking County Municipal Court, where she faces 24 counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals. Her case there will appear before a jury on November 29.
