JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — An unlicensed dog breeder in Oregon County is facing 24 criminal charges related to animal abuse.
Marlisa McAlmond, of Cedar Ridge Australians, has been charged with 21 counts of animal abuse, two counts of felony damage and one count of animal cruelty.
McAlmond is accused of euthanizing 21 dogs after being ordered to surrender them to the state.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's Office previously filed suit against McAlmond for substandard breeding conditions and operating under an expired license. The office also obtained a temporary restraining order against the breeder.
Despite this, McAlmond continued to breed dogs.
The office then entered a consent judgement with McAlmond requiring her to surrender all dogs in her care to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, except 20 dogs that she was allowed to keep.
McAlmond was ordered to surrender a total of 84 dogs to the department. During settlement negotiations on Sept. 4, McAlmond agreed to surrender the dogs on Sept. 22.
Before the department could collect the dogs, McAlmond euthanized 10 of the dogs on Sept 15 and 11 dogs on Sept. 18. At least seven were puppies.
McAlmond also transferred 60 dogs to several third parties, “without the knowledge or written approval of the Department of Agriculture,” according to a press release from Schmitt's office.
"This breeder has proven time and again that she cannot responsibly breed dogs, and she must be held accountable for unnecessarily euthanizing dogs which had been transferred to the state by court order,” said Schmitt.
Oregon County is more than three hours south of St. Louis.