Dogs, cats, chickens neglected by online breeder
West Bountiful, UT (US)Incident Date: Friday, May 4, 2007
County: Davis
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Sheyrl Berger
A woman accused of failing to give proper care to a variety of animals recovered some of them while still facing misdemeanor charges. Sheryl Berger can keep two dogs and must find adoptive families for 15 others. She also can keep more than 20 chickens, including a chicken breed that resembles a turkey. Authorities confiscated dogs, chickens and other animals from a barn May 4, 2007.
"We watched that barn for some 45 days, knowing there is more than the allowable two dogs inside," said Capt. Ted Ellison, Davis County animal control chief. "We watched to see how often they are fed and taken care of. Over a period of time, we had concerns."
Berger is charged in West Bountiful Justice Court with cruelty toward animals, operating a kennel without a license and giving false information to a police officer. She faces up to $4,000 in restitution for the cost of keeping the animals at the shelter, prosecutor Mike Nielsen said.
"I think they were ridiculous to do what they did," Berger said about the seizure. "I don't want to say a lot. The animals were there when they were confiscated and that's all. "They like to be there. They like to play down there," she said. "They just get a kick out of it."
Ellison, however, said it was no playground. "These dogs were adult dogs that were not in the best physical condition," he said. "They were dirty, stinky, living in their own waste." Nielsen said the case has been handled properly, even if the dogs were placed in homes of Berger's choosing. Finding new homes, he added, was better than euthanizing the dogs. "We worked out a resolution where individuals, families, couples ... licensed the dogs and took them. They signed an agreement that the dogs would remain with them and not go back to Ms. Berger," the prosecutor said.
Berger sells dogs online. References
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