The owners of an alleged Pleasant Hope puppy mill that drew national attention in February were charged with several felony counts today, with dozens of more charges to come.Carold H. Cruse, 48, and his wife Rebecca, 49, are charged with three felony counts of animal abuse, stemming from three Yorkshire terriers allegedly found in deplorable condition at a kennel the couple owned.Those dogs were put down after authorities executed a search warrant on the kennel Feb. 13.Prosecutors plan to file 40 more misdemeanor animal abuse counts against each of the defendants for other “Yorkies” allegedly found in similarly poor condition, said Assistant Greene County Prosecutor Kristen Tuohy.Court documents used to charge the Cruses allege the couple kept scores of dogs in their kennel, neglecting to groom, properly feed or clean up after the animals.Investigators who searched the facility found 93 Yorkshire terriers, most of them allegedly with feces, urine or vomit matted into their unkempt fur, and a variety of health problems. The bust was sensational enough to warrant a mention on the Oprah Winfrey show, a move which garnered enough publicity to secure adoption for all of the animals, said Jeane Jae, director of communications for the Humane Society of Missouri.In a probable cause statement, Greene County Det. Ronald Killingsworth wrote Carold Cruse said “the kennel had got away from him and his wife and that a veterinarian had never been to this location for inspection or examination. The inattention to the daily cleaning, feeding and watering and the lack of veterinary care contributed to the severe conditions the animals were forced to live in.”In the case of one of the euthanized animals, matted fur had cut into a leg, causing what the probable cause document called “tissue strangulation.”Another of the animals’ knee caps were dislocated, and the third had a fractured lower jaw and an infection that had created a hole between it’s mouth and nasal cavity.Investigators rated each animal seized from the kennel on something called the Henneke scale, designed to rate the weight conditions of animals. Each of the three euthanized dogs had a rating of one, or emaciated, the probable cause statement says.In these three cases, the Cruses are accused of causing suffering that “was the result of torture consciously inflicted... while the animal was alive.”Once the felony matters are taken up at preliminary hearing, Tuohy plans to file 40 misdemeanor counts against the couple — each stemming from animals who scored either a one or two (very thin) on the Henneke scale and had various other health issues.The misdemeanor abuse charges will carry a maximum of one year imprisonment.In all, the planned charges correspond to 43 of the 93 dogs allegedly found at the kennel. Tuohy would not comment on why charges weren’t filed on the remaining 50 animals.“In any animal abuse case, we review the reports submitted by the investigating agency and we speak with the attending vets,” she said. “Based on those reports a charging decision is made.”Arrest warrants for both Carold and Rebecca Cruse were signed by a judge this morning, with a $1,500 bond set for each.Among conditions of the couples’ release is that they are not to possess any animals.
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