JUDA - Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman charged a rural Juda woman Tuesday with four felonies and four misdemeanors related to animal neglect.
Bonnie K. Bitz, 46, of W3520 Middle Juda Road, is charged with two felony counts of mistreating animals causing death, two felony counts of mistreatment of animals resulting in disfigurement, one misdemeanor count of intentionally mistreating animals, two misdemeanor counts of intentionally failing to provide food for an animal and one misdemeanor count of improper animal shelter.
Six charges stem from the confiscation of 20 dogs from Bitz's property on Feb. 24. Two new charges relate to the alleged mistreatment of goats.
According to the criminal complaint, one of Bitz's dogs, "Buddy" a male Belgian-Malinois mixed breed dog, was attached to a heavy log-style chain inside a barn by a metal choke chain. The dog jumped over an open barn door and strangled itself on the chain.
According to a report from Dr. Ray Pawlisch of Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center, when authorities found the dog, still hanging from the barn, Bitz said it had been dead for three weeks.
The complaint states Bitz allowed a horned male dairy goat to get its horns entangled in the plastic strings of a large square bale. The goat was not able to free itself and died from exposure to the elements.
The two disfigurement charges stem from Bitz allowing between six to nine links of a metal choke chain to grow into the necks of two mixed breed collie dogs. Veterinarians needed to surgically remove the links.
The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water to three adult mixed breed dogs. Bitz also fed the three dogs the carcasses of two dead Holstein calves.
Bitz also failed to properly feed and give water to 17 indoor dogs, all mixed breeds of Pekinese, Terrier and Labrador retriever. The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water and food, other than the remains of a sack of dry dog food and several animal carcasses in the unheated farmhouse.
Pawlisch said the lower barn was filled with five to eight feet of feces and carcasses the dogs allegedly fed on. Pawlisch and fellow Brodhead vet Dr. Elaine Ness said animal skeletons were scattered throughout the farm.
The last charge regarding animal shelter stems from Bitz failing to provide the dogs with proper shelter. The complaint states the house did not have adequate ventilation or meet minimum sanitation standards. The house lacked any periodic cleaning to remove waste, dirt and trash.
The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water, shelter, sanitation and care to approximately 23 dairy goats.
Pawlisch said the animals were not being cared for properly and Bitz was not capable of caring for them.
"The owners/caretakers of the livestock showed a disregard for the life of the animals," Pawlisch said in his report.
Ness echoed Pawlisch's assessment.
"Bonnie does not have an understanding of basic animal husbandry," Ness said. "She does not appear to have the financial, intellectual or emotional capacity to care for the animals."
Ness said Bitz should be banned from owning any animals in the future, as she shows classic symptoms of animal hoarding.
Bitz was arrested and charged Tuesday. She was released on a $5,000 signature bond. Her preliminary hearing is 3:30 p.m. March 19.
Bonnie K. Bitz, 46, of W3520 Middle Juda Road, is charged with two felony counts of mistreating animals causing death, two felony counts of mistreatment of animals resulting in disfigurement, one misdemeanor count of intentionally mistreating animals, two misdemeanor counts of intentionally failing to provide food for an animal and one misdemeanor count of improper animal shelter.
Six charges stem from the confiscation of 20 dogs from Bitz's property on Feb. 24. Two new charges relate to the alleged mistreatment of goats.
According to the criminal complaint, one of Bitz's dogs, "Buddy" a male Belgian-Malinois mixed breed dog, was attached to a heavy log-style chain inside a barn by a metal choke chain. The dog jumped over an open barn door and strangled itself on the chain.
According to a report from Dr. Ray Pawlisch of Brodhead Veterinary Medical Center, when authorities found the dog, still hanging from the barn, Bitz said it had been dead for three weeks.
The complaint states Bitz allowed a horned male dairy goat to get its horns entangled in the plastic strings of a large square bale. The goat was not able to free itself and died from exposure to the elements.
The two disfigurement charges stem from Bitz allowing between six to nine links of a metal choke chain to grow into the necks of two mixed breed collie dogs. Veterinarians needed to surgically remove the links.
The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water to three adult mixed breed dogs. Bitz also fed the three dogs the carcasses of two dead Holstein calves.
Bitz also failed to properly feed and give water to 17 indoor dogs, all mixed breeds of Pekinese, Terrier and Labrador retriever. The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water and food, other than the remains of a sack of dry dog food and several animal carcasses in the unheated farmhouse.
Pawlisch said the lower barn was filled with five to eight feet of feces and carcasses the dogs allegedly fed on. Pawlisch and fellow Brodhead vet Dr. Elaine Ness said animal skeletons were scattered throughout the farm.
The last charge regarding animal shelter stems from Bitz failing to provide the dogs with proper shelter. The complaint states the house did not have adequate ventilation or meet minimum sanitation standards. The house lacked any periodic cleaning to remove waste, dirt and trash.
The complaint states Bitz failed to provide water, shelter, sanitation and care to approximately 23 dairy goats.
Pawlisch said the animals were not being cared for properly and Bitz was not capable of caring for them.
"The owners/caretakers of the livestock showed a disregard for the life of the animals," Pawlisch said in his report.
Ness echoed Pawlisch's assessment.
"Bonnie does not have an understanding of basic animal husbandry," Ness said. "She does not appear to have the financial, intellectual or emotional capacity to care for the animals."
Ness said Bitz should be banned from owning any animals in the future, as she shows classic symptoms of animal hoarding.
Bitz was arrested and charged Tuesday. She was released on a $5,000 signature bond. Her preliminary hearing is 3:30 p.m. March 19.