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Criminal trial in Muskegon for Howling Timbers owner begins Monday

Brenda Pearson is facing two charges, one for having a dangerous animal causing serious injury, and another for violating the state's wolfdog cross act.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — The criminal trial for Brenda Pearson, the owner of a Muskegon's Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary is set to begin Monday morning. Pearson faces two counts, felony dangerous animal causing serious injury, and misdemeanor violation of the wolf-dog cross act. 

Pearson has been in and out of court for nearly two years following a 2020 DNR investigation into her sanctuary. The investigation alleged Pearson didn't have proper licensing or permits for multiple wolfdogs.

It also accused the owner of neglecting and mistreating the animals, and failing to report animal bites to the proper state agencies, one of which caused a young girl to lose part of her arm. That girl was Pearson's granddaughter. 

Monday's trial is separate from the civil case that was ruled on in April. Muskegon County 14th Circuit Court Judge Annette Smedley ruled in favor of the prosecution, ordering Howling Timbers to relocate or euthanize the animals. Four of the wolfdogs have been relocated to a sanctuary in North Carolina, but Pearson's attorney has appealed the ruling, halting action for the time being.

"Those pictures are fodder for this court to think there's a public safety aspect," Pearson's attorney Celeste Dunn argued in the civil case. "Not one person of the public has been injured by any of those wolfdogs. Not one."

A comment on from the sanctuary on their Facebook page recounts one of the two bites in question: 

The volunteer incident was a volunteer who was with us over 15 years. She chose to willingly go into a pen which she was asked not to enter and received a bite. During that time, two other volunteers were in charge of the property and did not report the bite as they were instructed.

Pearson's criminal trial will also be heard in front of Judge Smedley, but will be decided by a jury. It's set to start Monday, August 1 at 9 a.m. 

13 ON YOUR SIDE will have a crew in the courtroom to bring updates as they come.

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