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Case #7478 Rating: 4.0 out of 5
40 dogs found on property, some dead
Rogers, AR (US)Incident Date: Monday, Nov 30, 1998
County: Benton
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Josey Wales
Josey Wales, 50, pleaded guilty in a Bentonville Municipal Court to 40 counts of animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The 40 dogs were found on his property located near Cave Springs. Dozens of the dogs were allowed to starve on his property.
A judge sentenced Wales to 360 days in jail with 320 days suspended on the condition of good behavior for one year. He is also ordered to complete 500 hours of community service at Bella Vista's animal shelter.
Wales was arrested in December when authorities acted on a complaint, they found 40 dogs on his property and inside his house. Some of the dogs were dead and others in various stages of starvation.
He had been trying to start an animal shelter on his property and failed to do so. "The dogs were in pens that were basically just wire encasements where food was occasionally dumped over the top. The animals had no human contact. They had been left to starve and go wild."
Some of the dogs resorted to cannibalism. After Wales arrest, the dogs were taken to several area animal shelters where many eventually died or were euthanized.
The $3,000 court costs assessed to Wales represents $75 charge for each of 40 counts. Wales is to begin serving his 40-day sentence at the Benton County Jail in August. His sentence was postponed because Wales' wife is dying of cancer.
Authorities never found out why Wales failed to care for the dogs, he had been in substance abuse treatment around the time of his arrest.
When people heard he was keeping dog, they just started dumping strays there. "The animals were breeding and having puppies. The whole thing just got away from him." References- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - July 22, 1999
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