MOUNT VERNON — The former owner of a Butler Township dog rescue had her pending animal cruelty charges dismissed in Mount Vernon Municipal Court.
After Kristin Beaupry, 24, Centerburg, was convicted and sentenced in Licking County for mistreatment of animals, Mount Vernon Law Director Rob Broeren filed to drop six counts of prohibition concerning companion animals and one count of cruelty to animals. Beaupry’s charges stemmed from her running the now-shuttered Pittie Paw Rescue.
“The case was dismissed because Beaupry was convicted of animal cruelty in Licking County where she lives. She is not a Knox County resident. She is being supervised down there and is also awaiting a jail sentence,” Broeren said. “Our goal with the Knox County case was to make sure to put Pittie Paw Rescue out of business and to make sure she could not do that again. We accomplished that goal by having her surrender the remaining dogs. She also did not renew her animal rescue license with the state and she has surrendered her IRS designation to allow to raise money as a nonprofit.”
Beaupry and her mother, Joyce Meisenhelder, 43, were both sentenced to 180 days in jail — with 170 days of each sentence suspended — by Judge David N. Stansbury on Feb. 16 in Licking County Municipal Court. Both were found guilty on three animal cruelty charges that involved 23 cats and kittens that stem from August 2018.
The fate of the dogs is unknown. At least six of the animals are believed to be too vicious to be sent out to rescues, and therefor will probably be euthanized.
Knox County Prosecuting Attorney Chip McConville said it would be unwise for the county to try and adopt some of the most vicious dogs out, or send them to a rescue.
“Even if we had iron-clad liability we’d still be reticent about these dogs,” McConville said.
The dogs were evaluated by animal trainers for temperament about two weeks ago. McConville said all of the dogs still at the animal shelter that were taken from Pittie Paw Rescue in September were also evaluated.
The Knox County Commissioners offered comment on the dogs Thursday, expanding on information in Carhart’s monthly report for January.
In the report, Carhart wrote, under “Special Notes and Information,” that of 26 Pittie Paw Rescue dogs still at the county Dog Shelter, nine are on the adoption floor, waiting for new homes, while 17 more were held in isolation for the pending court case. Of those 17 dogs, six — mostly pit bulls or pit bull mixes — are considered “unadoptable.” If euthanized, that would be a high number at one time for a county entity that attempts to find animals homes and keep euthanizing to a minimum at the dog shelter.
Previously, the number of dogs being held as evidence was stated at 12. McConville, speaking Monday, also gave the number as 12. It is not known where the discrepancy in numbers comes from.
County Commissioner Thom Collier said one of the six or so “unadoptable” dogs is so vicious that it will kill or attempt to kill every non-human animal it comes into contact with. Speaking of all six dogs in the alleged “unadoptable” category he added, “If you could stand being on the other side of the cage from them, I’ll be impressed. They’re vicious. They’re not dogs you would ever want to see adopted, or even put in the hands of rescues. Even the experts have said a number of those dogs should be euthanized, there’s just no other (safe option).”
