Parties agree to suspend prosecution in LeRoy couple's animal mistreatment cases
Apr. 10—PRESTON, Minn. — Prosecutors have agreed to pause court proceedings to allow two Fillmore County dog breeders accused of animal mistreatment a chance to demonstrate that they can properly care for their animals.
The cases against Elham Waled Mohammad Alayyoub and Donald Norval Anderson will be suspended for eight months.
The couple were charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal mistreatment after officials seized 15 German shepherd dogs and puppies from their property.
If Alayyoub and Anderson remain law-abiding during that time and allow the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office to conduct welfare checks on their animals, the case will be dismissed.
Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson filed the continuance for dismissal on Tuesday, April 8, noting that the sheriff's office will "observe and check on the welfare of any animals" on their property. The sheriff's office will be allowed to check their property twice, once in three months and a second time in six months.
Anderson and Alayyoub will receive a 48-hour notice before conducting the checks. The two must cooperate with the animal checks to ensure that they will be home.
According to the criminal complaint, Anderson and Alayyoub told Fillmore County deputies on Feb. 9 that they breed German shepherds in rural LeRoy and one of their dogs unexpectedly died.
The two said the dog may have been poisoned by someone and that this was the second dog to die under similar circumstances over the past few months. Deputies suggested that Alayyoub and Anderson take the dog to a veterinarian at the University of Minnesota to determine its cause of death, the complaint said.
On Feb. 13, the deputies contacted the veterinarian who reported that the dog's body was markedly underweight and in poor condition. The dog was dehydrated and at a high risk for starvation.
The veterinarian determined the cause of death to be cardiovascular insufficiency along with intestinal volvulus, a rare disorder in dogs that occurs when the small intestine twists around the mesentery that supports it. The veterinarian told deputies that he was concerned for other dogs in the couple's care.
The Fillmore County Sheriff's Office went to Alayyoub and Anderson's property, where deputies saw nine adult German shepherds and eight puppies. One deputy was able to pet one of the males and felt its spine and ribs through its fur.
In the kennel area, the complaint says, the floors were covered with fecal matter and there was a strong smell of urine.
A search warrant to seize the dogs from the property was executed, and nine adult German shepherds and six puppies were turned over to the Animal Humane Society for care and examination. Two puppies were sold prior to the execution of the search warrant, the complaint said.
According to the complaint, five dogs were suffering from chronic malnutrition, nine were suffering from malnutrition and one was emaciated. Dogs are measured on a nine-point body condition score, indicating underweight, overweight and the ideal weight. One dog scored a 3/9, the complaint said. Every other dog received a score of 2 or lower. At least one of the dogs was diagnosed with coccidia and hookworms, or intestinal parasites.
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