MUSKEGON, Mich. — The criminal trial of Howling Timbers owner Brenda Pearson was slated to get underway in circuit court Monday.
Instead, however, Judge Arnette Smedley granted a motion to send the case back to district court for a preliminary examination to determine whether there is sufficient evidence the animals in Pearson’s care were dangerous.
Pearson faces two counts, felony dangerous animal causing serious injury and a misdemeanor violation of the wolf-dog cross act.
The criminal trial stems from a two-year-old DNR investigation, allegedly finding that Pearson mistreated and neglected the wolfdogs she housed.
Also, the sanctuary owner failed to report several violent encounters, including the bite that took a portion of her granddaughter’s arm.
“There are requirements to establish a dangerous animal,” Smedley noted. “It was not established at the preliminary examination that this was a dangerous animal except that it was a wolfdog and it had bitten.”
Though it granted her attorney’s motion to quash the bind-over of the felony charge, the court warned the Muskegon County sanctuary owner that another violation of her bond would mean jail.
A receipt allegedly showed the embattled sanctuary may have recently acquired one or more new exotic animals.
“Non-domesticated animals--a kangaroo, a wallaby maybe, maybe a miniature kangaroo, a couple of cows,” the prosecution related in court Monday.
“I understand Ms. Pearson’s Signature is on that, but she basically helped somebody who was standing in line,” Celeste Dunn, Pearson’s attorney countered.
Various state and federal agencies also alleged Pearson lacked the licensure required to operate.
In an April ruling tied to the separate civil case, Judge Smedley declined to rule on the licensure question given Pearson's other alleged violations.
In court Monday, Attorney Celeste Dunn revealed a veterinarian had cleared several of the wolf-dogs in question for transfer and that the move to another sanctuary would get underway Saturday.
“The animals are ready to go and we have placement,” Dunn explained.
As part of the civil ruling, Smedley also ordered the animals with a history of biting—named Bear and Nero--to be euthanized.
That was also expected to occur in the near future.
With regard to the misdemeanor charge, the court said it had to review case law in light of a recent state supreme court opinion.
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