Dog neglected, starved
Monmouth, IL (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
County: Warren
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Jay Stokes - Alleged
» Brenda Stokes
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Brenda Stokes stood trial on Oct 9, 2007 in Warren County Circuit Court for cruel treatment of a dog, a white boxer named Casper.
According to her attorney Thomas Siegel, while she admits the dog was clearly malnourished and had an injury to its head when Monmouth police discovered the dog May 16, 2006, Stokes was taking care of the dog. Siegel argued that the dog was actually owned by Stokes' son, Jay.
The defense said it would prove that while the dog was thin and had a wound on its head, that the dog was very thin when Jay Stokes was first given the dog by Bob Tally.
Jay Stokes was the first person to be charged for cruel treatment of animals in the case involving the boxer. However, according to state prosecutor Charles Zalar, Brenda Stokes approached Warren County State's Attorney Chip Algren and said she was the owner of the dog.
Siegel claims that Brenda had no such conversation, and that her son Jay is in fact the owner of the dog, and that she is not guilty.
The boxer was found at Stokes' home while no one was home, and at the time weighed 41 pounds. Veterinarian Dr. Geoffrey Weech testified that a dog Casper's size should weigh 51 to 55 pounds. Weech said that the amount of weight lost was large enough that it would have taken weeks to months to restore Casper to a healthy weight.
When Robbin Sage, public service officer for the Monmouth Police Department, took Casper to her department, she said the malnourished dog could not eat and drink fast enough.
"We started off by giving him small bits and he proceeded to wolf it down," Sage said.
While Weech said he could not be sure what caused the malnourishment of the boxer, he said it was possible that bacteria or worms could have influenced the dog's weight.
Weech, who observed the boxer when it was first discovered at the Stokes home, also said the wound on the boxer's head would have been at least a week old due to the area of dead tissue surrounding the wound.
When asked if the wound on the dog's head could have been caused by a bush, Weech said he did not think that was the cause, but that a burn, abrasion or bacteria could have been the cause.
Siegel claimed that Jay Stokes had cleaned the wound after he noticed it on the dog's head, but Weech said he saw no evidence that the wound had been treated.
Casper was placed under adoption soon after the incident.
Case UpdatesBrenda Stokes and her family hugged outside the Warren County courtroom Wednesday after a jury found her guilty of cruel treatment of animals.
"It's going to be OK," said Stokes, 54, to family and friends.
The jury took about an hour to find her guilty of the class A misdemeanor.
Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Stokes faces up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500.
Monmouth police discovered the boxer dog Casper on May 16, 2006, thin and with a large wound on his head.
"It was very much a struggle because we all empathize with her," said Mary Ann Davis, a juror. "I don't think she intended to cause any harm to the dog."
She said the jury had a long discussion over whether or not Davis was guilty, because they understood her position of working two jobs and taking care of the boxer. Davis went on to say the jurors felt they had to find Stokes guilty because of the lack of care she had given the dog.
"I'm sure the jury made the best decision they could with the evidence presented to them," said Stokes' attorney, Thomas Siegel.
During Siegel's closing arguments he said that while Stokes had not taken the dog to a veterinarian, she had done her best to feed the dog and give it water. He also said that while Stokes owns the house at 819 S. 7th St. where the dog was staying on May 16, Casper actually belongs to Stokes' son, Jay Stokes, 25.
Cary Stokes, Brenda's other son, corroborated her story that both he and his mother had fed the dog and given it water approximately three times a day. He also said that while he and his mother both agreed that the dog was thin, they did not see any signs that would make them take it to a veterinarian. Cary said his brother had said he was going to take the boxer to a vet. Cary also said he bought salve for the head wound.
"I was happy, obviously, they came back with a guilty verdict," said state prosecutor Charles Zalar. "I don't know that she intended to harm the dog, but I think she did by not taking it to the vet or giving it medical attention | Source: Register-Mail - Oct 11, 2007
Update posted on Oct 11, 2007 - 5:25PM |
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