MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — The future placement of 47 wolf dogs currently housed at Howling Timbers in Muskegon County will be decided by Muskegon County Circuit judge Annette Smedley. But that decision may still be several days, if not weeks away, because the trial that started Monday, Oct. 18 didn't finish.
The hearing was adjourned after several hours of testimony. The next date has not been set.
When the civil forfeiture case does resume, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office will continue calling witnesses to testify. Four witnesses called by the prosecution took the stand Monday, including a doctor who treated a child injured at the facility. Smedley learned a child who reached into a cage at Howling Timbers lost a portion of her arm after being bitten by one of the wolf dogs.
Following the conclusion of the prosecution's case, attorney Celeste Dunn, who represents Howling Timbers and operator Brenda Pearson, is expected to present her own witnesses to testify.
The prosecutions' primary witness Monday was a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer who inspected Howling Timbers on at least four occasions. Anna Cullen said she and other investigators found numerous safety concerns during searches of Howling Timbers in 2020 and 2021.
Cullen testified that during one search, she and other investigators located a wolf dog that had significant injuries as a result of being bitten by another wolf dog. Cullen testified the injured animal went without proper veterinary care for four days before the DNR removed the animal and transported it to a veterinarian for care.
"Without even seeing the wound you could smell it," she said. "You could see a very large gash that allowed the skin to flap over."
Cullen testified she found gates at the facility left unlocked, or improperly secured with carabineers. Her inspections discovered cages without anything to prevent the dogs from digging out and escaping. Cullen also told the judge the DNR investigation confirmed one wolf dog was able to escape from Howling Timbers. The wolf dog was shot and killed by a neighbor.
Cullen also claims Howling Timbers and Pearson didn't keep detailed veterinary records for each of the wolf dogs, which are required by the state.
"I believe five were missing," she said. "The records I did receive were not sufficient, were not legitimate. A lot of them were handwritten notes. "
The prosecution's case Monday included two witnesses who testified that while working as volunteers at the facility, they were bitten by wolf dogs.
During the execution of the search warrant In 2020, the DNR removed six red foxes, three coyotes, four eastern box turtles and two fawns the facility wasn't permitted to house.
Pearson is also facing criminal charges for possessing a dangerous animal, causing serious injury and possessing a wolf dog without a permit.
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