Anderson Farm owners enter Alford pleas in pretrial for animal mistreatment case
(ABC 6 News) – Two LeRoy dog breeding farm owners entered Alford guilty pleas in an animal mistreatment case Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Elham Alayyoub, 45, and Donald Anderson, 89, the owners of Anderson Farm, were each charged with 3 misdemeanor charges of overwork/mistreat animals–torture; 3 charges of overwork/mistreat animals–deprive of food or shelter; and 3 charges of overwork/mistreat animals–cruelty after their dogs were seized in February.
RELATED: Owners of Anderson Farm speak out – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
The pair told ABC 6 News in July that they hoped to resolve the incident before trial, citing the expense of legal representation and remaining payment to the Animal Humane Society, which held the German Shepherds seized from the farm until most of them were cleared for adoption.
RELATED: Most Anderson Farm dogs adopted; one euthanized by shelter – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
The Anderson Farm owners each pleaded guilty to one charge of misdemeanor overwork/mistreat animals–deprive of food or shelter, according to court documents entered Aug. 13.
An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea wherein a defendant maintains that they are innocent, but admits that there is enough evidence to convict them in a court of law.
According to the plea agreements, Alayyoub and Anderson will be sentenced to one year of probation each, and ordered to pay a $300 fine at sentencing.
Whether or not either can possess domestic animals during probation will be argued at sentencing, according to the agreements.
That sentencing has not been scheduled, according to Tuesday’s court proceedings.
Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson, representing the State, said all parties are still negotiating a sum of money the Anderson Farm owners must pay the Animal Humane Society for care of the dogs between February and April.
However Daniel McIntosh, representing Alayyoub, said in court that the criminal matter had been resolved, and only the monetary sum was up in the air before the next hearing.
A friend of the Anderson Farm owners created a GoFundMe for Alayyoub and Anderson, which is linked below.
A new pretrial hearing was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 1.