Witness testimonies continued Wednesday in the trial of a Sherrardf dog breeder accused of animal cruelty. Prosecutors say Karen Plambeck mistreated almost 200 dogs in poor conditions almost two years ago.
Plambeck has pleaded not guilty to the charge in the trial that continues in Mercer County Court. The state has brought in multiple witnesses in the case. One of the witnesses was a veterinarian, categorized as an expert in her field.
“He was one of the puppies, one of the two puppies that had the most tremendous hair loss,” said Dr. Cathy Wolf, a veterinarian from Mendota. “In fact a lot of the volunteers said he looked like a possum instead of a dog because he had almost no hair whatsoever.”
Wolf took pictures and wrote reports on all nine dogs that were in her possession, including what conditions they all had. Wolf testified most of the dogs she took care of had alopecia (hair loss,) severe sores and scales, and swollen joints tender to the touch.
“You can see the complete hair loss,” Wolf said. “You can see the erythema, which is the redness. If you would touch the area, you could feel how hot and irritated the ear is as well.”
4 MORE
A representative from an animal-rescue organization took the stand next. She was on the scene in 2022, helping the dogs find new homes.
“As soon as you got across the road and started to go on to the property, the smell was horrific,” said Sarah Rebernick, vice president of Minnesota-Wisconsin Collie Rescue. “I really have to liken it to the smell of an industrial hog farm, when you’re driving through Texas on a hot day. It was a very bad odor.”
Rebernick says the conditions were like nothing she had ever seen. “Many of the coats were so badly matted that they were unable to lift their tails,” Rebernick said. “They were defecating down the back of their legs because they couldn’t get their tails out of the way.”
The Mercer County State’s Attorney says Karen Plambeck is charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty with no prior felonies. She says the judge will decide whether Plambeck is guilty or not. All 12 counts Plambeck faces are Class 4 felonies, with sentence possibilities that range from one to three years in prison.
The state’s attorney says there are three or four witnesses left to take the stand. Closing arguments in the bench trial are scheduled for Friday.
In a jury trial, the jury makes the decisions. In a bench trial, the judge makes the decisions.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sMHRqqyanJOewaqx0meaqKVfo7K4v46lppyZnGK7psPSaJuon12dvKK%2Bw6KloGWkp7aiuIydmLJlYmLAqbHRq5irnF2gsq%2B6xKVkrKWVobmmsIyloKSdXZ28qHnFmqmmZaeewa%2Bx0qxkrJmpqHw%3D