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Eastern Montana woman charged with felony animal cruelty after seizure of 199 dogs, most of them English shepherds
Posted on Jan. 12
By MATTHEW BROWN of the Associated Press

BILLINGS - A Ballantine woman faces two counts of felony animal cruelty and other charges following two raids on her dog breeding operation last month.

Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos said Monday that 59-year-old Linda Kapsa also faces four misdemeanor charges stemming from the raids on Dec. 11 and Dec. 30. Paxinos said Kapsa had failed to properly feed and care for the dogs, which she sold over the internet.

The December raids led to the seizure of 199 dogs, most of them English shepherds, and the discovery of two dozen dead dogs at Kapsa’s Shady Lane Kennels. Investigators said one of the dead animals, a pug, was found inside Kapsa’s trailer home.

The felony charges each carry a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a fine of up to $2.5 million.

The dogs remain under the care of Yellowstone County. They’ve been held at the county fairgrounds as potential evidence in the criminal case.

“It’s taken a small army just to figure out how to feed and care for all these animals,” Paxinos said. “Obviously not just one person was capable of doing that.”

Kapsa could not be reached immediately for comment. She told the Billings Gazette last week that an injury had prevented her from keeping up with her breeding operation, and that she had been looking for several months for homes for the animals.

“I had been talking about it more or less all summer n for the sake of the dogs,” she told the newspaper.

Court documents indicated at least two of the seized dogs had since died from a canine virus. Others needed veterinary care for open wounds, broken bones and other injuries. The documents described extremely overcrowded conditions at the kennel, including numerous dogs living inside Kapsa’s home.

Many of the dogs were living outside with little or no protection at a time when temperatures dipped as low as 15 to 20 degrees below zero.

Following the Dec. 30 raid, authorities asked for the public’s help in tracking down several dozen dogs that disappeared following the initial raid on the kennel. It now appears, based on court documents, that those dogs were given to Kapsa’s daughter, a veterinarian from North Carolina, and will be adopted out to new homes.

Paxinos said Kapsa could be arraigned as soon as Tuesday.
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Terrel wrote on Jan 13, 2009 7:32 AM:

" This article is a good reason to never buy a dog online or in a pet store. Supporting puppy mills, like this one, is easy to do when purchasing pets online or in a pet store. If buying a breed is that important, people need to go directly to the breeder and see how the dogs are treated. And if the breeder hesitates or says no visitors, then don't buy from them. Personally, I recommend never buying a breed and just adopting from the local animal shelters. "

DJD wrote on Jan 13, 2009 8:08 AM:

" Wow, 199 dogs were involved in this cruelty case and yet the owner is only facing misdemeanor charges. Something needs to change in Montana state! Contact your Legislators! Get involved! "

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