News
Halstead must pay $4K in animal neglect case
By Philip Franchine, Sahuarita Sun
Carol Halstead, the owner of a Green Valley dog care business, was ordered to pay more than $4,000 in fines and restitution at her sentencing on Nov. 4 on a charge of animal neglect.
Halstead was found guilty on Oct. 28 after a bench trial before by Green Valley Justice Court Judge Gail Wight.
Halstead was fined $272 by Wight and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,865 for the veterinary bills for a dog that was injured in her care and died several days after she released it to its owner, Special Pima County Attorney Clint Stinson said after the sentencing.
Halstead also was ordered to complete a civic responsibility class, agreed to allow either Pima County Sheriff’s deputies or county Animal Control officers onto the Wrangler Ranch property where she kennels her dogs without prior notice to inspect the premises. She was sentenced to do 40 hours of community service at an animal shelter and put on 12 months probation.
The sentencing took several hours, as a number of letters were submitted to the court on her behalf by supporters. Customers and colleagues of Halstead have called and sent letters to the Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun to protest the newspapers’ coverage of the case, saying that Halstead has treated animals very compassionately and that reporting of a handful of court cases has overlooked her kind treatment of the vast majority of animals in her care.
Halstead, who owns the Groom Shop on Calle de las Tiendes in Green Valley, was accused in the criminal case of failing to call for veterinary help after an aging dog in her care was injured by other dogs in her care. That dog, owned by Virginia Zenobi of Green Valley, died two days after Halstead returned it to her, and an autopsy said the dog died from wounds incurred by another dog. The dogs were kenneled at Halstead’s home.
Halstead has said she will comment after the court cases are resolved.
Halstead faces another criminal case in which a dog owned by Elizabeth Moore of Green Valley was attacked by another dog in Halstead’s care. In that case, involving the same charge of animal neglect, failure to seek medical attention, an arraignment that had been scheduled for Friday was continued and will be rescheduled in Green Valley Justice Court. She also faces two civil suits, one involving Zenobi’s dog and one involving another dog whose death is blamed on wounds incurred while the dog was in Halstead’s care.
pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738
Halstead was found guilty on Oct. 28 after a bench trial before by Green Valley Justice Court Judge Gail Wight.
Halstead was fined $272 by Wight and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,865 for the veterinary bills for a dog that was injured in her care and died several days after she released it to its owner, Special Pima County Attorney Clint Stinson said after the sentencing.
Halstead also was ordered to complete a civic responsibility class, agreed to allow either Pima County Sheriff’s deputies or county Animal Control officers onto the Wrangler Ranch property where she kennels her dogs without prior notice to inspect the premises. She was sentenced to do 40 hours of community service at an animal shelter and put on 12 months probation.
The sentencing took several hours, as a number of letters were submitted to the court on her behalf by supporters. Customers and colleagues of Halstead have called and sent letters to the Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun to protest the newspapers’ coverage of the case, saying that Halstead has treated animals very compassionately and that reporting of a handful of court cases has overlooked her kind treatment of the vast majority of animals in her care.
Halstead, who owns the Groom Shop on Calle de las Tiendes in Green Valley, was accused in the criminal case of failing to call for veterinary help after an aging dog in her care was injured by other dogs in her care. That dog, owned by Virginia Zenobi of Green Valley, died two days after Halstead returned it to her, and an autopsy said the dog died from wounds incurred by another dog. The dogs were kenneled at Halstead’s home.
Halstead has said she will comment after the court cases are resolved.
Halstead faces another criminal case in which a dog owned by Elizabeth Moore of Green Valley was attacked by another dog in Halstead’s care. In that case, involving the same charge of animal neglect, failure to seek medical attention, an arraignment that had been scheduled for Friday was continued and will be rescheduled in Green Valley Justice Court. She also faces two civil suits, one involving Zenobi’s dog and one involving another dog whose death is blamed on wounds incurred while the dog was in Halstead’s care.
pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738
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