Koster
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a consent judgment on Wednesday against a Ray County dog breeder for alleged violations of the Animal Care Facilities Act and the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.
The Ray County Circuit Court entered the agreement with Jeannine Julian, the owner of JJ Kennel, a commercial breeding facility located in Richmond. The Missouri Department of Agriculture alleged that Julian had committed numerous violations at the facility this year.
The alleged violations include repeatedly refusing to allow DOA inspections of her breeding facility, failing to provide adequate veterinary care to animals who were in obvious medical distress and failing to provide housing that protected the animals from injury.
Julian also allegedly failed to ensure that interior surfaces were free of excessive rust and that kennel doors were properly maintained, failed to maintain adequate lighting, leaving some dogs in complete darkness, failed to prevent excessive accumulation of feces and food waste in the primary housing enclosures and to provide uncontaminated, wholesome food to the dogs, and failed to have adequate employees to carry out the required level of husbandry practices, resulting in excessive feces throughout the outdoor runs.
Under the terms of the judgment, Julian must correct the violations found by the DOA and comply with the ACFA and the CCPA at all times in the future. Julian is also required to pay court costs and a civil penalty of $3,800, with $2,200 suspended on the condition that she doesn't violate the CCPA or the ACFA for the next two years. Should Julian fail to comply with the CCPA or the ACFA within two years, the court will assess penalties for each day of each violation of $100 per day up to 30 days, $250 per day for 31 to 60 days and $500 per day beyond 60 days.
Any violation of the terms of the consent agreement would require Julian to surrender her ACFA license and transfer any animals in her facility to the DOA.
"We want Missouri to be known as a state that raises animals in a humane environment and offers dogs from well-operated kennels to buyers across the country," Koster said.