ASPCA, shelter reacts to dropped charges in Columbus County animal cruelty case
COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Several charges have been dropped in an animal cruelty case.
70-year-old Deborah Ross Dahl was originally charged with 93 counts of animal cruelty for allegedly housing animals in inhumane conditions and operating on them without a license.
On Monday, online court record showed Dahl is now only facing 21 charges. Some of the animals were also returned to her.
The DA’s office said it’s not uncommon for charges to be dropped in court, and that the animals’ return was a “unfortunate short term consequence.” However, the North Carolina eCourts system says the state “failed to comply” during the investigation. David’s office would not clarify what that means.
Lee VanOrmer with Paw’s Place Dog Rescue says she was devasted hearing the news.
“My understanding is the DA had requested some additional time to pull together the material they needed to go forward with the case, and or to increase the charges–he severity of the charges they wanted to do–and the judge denied the continuance,” she said. “So when they denied the continuance, they had no other options but to dismiss the charges.”
The DA’s office says it’s sill working to prosecute the case, but did not respond to WWAY’s request for an interview.
WWAY also received a statement from the ASPCA that reads:
“The ASPCA has been providing extensive care for these vulnerable dogs, many of whom are medically compromised, for more than a month and is deeply concerned and disappointed the court has ordered all but 14 of the dogs be returned to the defendant. While we are encouraged that charges related to the most seriously compromised animals are being pursued, this is not the outcome we hoped for. The ASPCA remains committed to advocating for the best interests of every animal involved in this case and is actively exploring all appropriate avenues to achieve outcomes that prioritize their welfare, including legal efforts to regain custody of dogs that are returned to the defendant and to ensure their continued care and wellbeing.”
