MUSKEGON, Mich. — The woman charged with animal abuse after nearly 80 dogs were rescued from her Norton Shores home appeared in court Wednesday.
Lisa Cober was charged back on January 31, 2023 with abandoning/cruelty to 10 or more animals which is a felony charge.
In court on Wednesday, her case was adjourned again. Robert Hedges, Cober's defense attorney, told the judge that the charges against Cober may be too vague, and therefore, unconstitutional.
"Frequently, in a lot of these cases, that one of the problems with these vague laws is that it traps the innocent person, and that's certainly what I think is going on in this case," Hedges told the judge. "It fails to tell them where that line is between what's right and what's wrong."
Cober's Defense Attorney asked for two weeks to get medical records of dogs and other evidence.
Cober bonded out shortly after her arrest for $1,000 and has had hearings continued and pushed back for the last year.
Last year, the Norton Shores Police Department in tandem with other agencies seized 78 dogs from Cober's Canine Rescue in Norton Shores which Lisa founded.
Police said the dogs were living in deplorable conditions which were unsanitary and overcrowded.
The home used as the rescue was found with "feces covering the flooring of the residence, as well as counter spaces, doors, kennels, and walls," according to a probable cause document.
At least 25 of the dogs at the home appeared to be sick or injured, according to observations by Dr. Houser, DVM of Glen Park Animal Hospital.
The probable cause document goes on to say that Cober admitted that at least eight puppies had died, and two had to be euthanized in her care since the beginning of January.
50 of the dogs were taken to Pound Buddies where Director Lana Carson said several of the dogs they took in were sick. Carson said the dogs had to be quarantined making it complicated for the shelter.
Carson said the rest of the dogs went to the Muskegon Humane Society and Harbor Humane Society in Ottawa County.
13 ON YOUR SIDE heard from numerous people after Cober was charged who claim they adopted animals from her that got very sick. That includes a Muskegon family who said they paid $1,400 in vet bills after adoption from Cober's Canines.
Cober told police she was unaware of the total number of dogs in her home, telling the detective that she knew there were at least 22 puppies, but did not know how many other dogs there were.
After the dogs were removed from the home, Norton Shores building inspectors declared the residence uninhabitable.
Back in October, local animal shelters spoke out against Cober, frustrated that she still had not been prosecuted. The trial was slated to start in October but was postponed after a request by her defense.
On Wednesday in court, the judge said the trial for Cober is expected to start in March.
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