Home | News | Helena | Humane Society of the US covers malamute costs

Humane Society of the US covers malamute costs

By Kaelyn Kelly Friday Dec. 16th, 2011 - 4:58pm

Font size:

The Jefferson County Attorney's Office has filed a Motion for Reconsideration of a District Court decision allowing a man facing 91 felony animal cruelty charges to find homes for up to 70 of the 160 malamute dogs taken from his home.

One reason cited for reconsideration is the Humane Society of the United States has agreed to cover all costs associated with caring for the dogs. Lewis and Clark County Humane Society Executive Director Gina Wiest says the shelter had been getting by through donations and fundraisers for the malamutes. She says local shelters don't budget for cruelty cases and the HSUS's generosity means caring for the dogs won't burden their limited resources.

"If we can help HSUS out by continuing to fundraise and have donations come in, you know, we definitely want to do that. HSUS has stepped up to the plate and they have done a phenomenal job in helping us set this up," says Gina Miest.

The motion also alleges that defendant Mike Chilinski was trying to sell some of the dogs. The county attorney states it was their belief that the dogs would only go to individual homes, not sold for profit.

Story by Kaelyn Kelly, Beartooth NBC.
Copyright ©2011 Beartooth Communications Company. All Rights Reserved.

Share on:

Digg

Comments (1 posted)

Michele-Baker Friday Dec. 16th, 2011 - 6:08pm

Mike is a first class jerk who should be as abused as his dogs were. He gave my husband one of his breeder dogs about a year ago and it's obvious that she had been terribly abused and neglected. He was getting rid of her because she wouldn't produce milk anymore, which our vet said was probably to due her malnutrition. She would eat her own poop, which my husband was told the dogs at the shelter in Helena were doing - because they weren't fed enough or properly by Mike. When we first got her, she was afraid of everything and everyone, very possessive of her food and spent her time cowering in corners and under bushes, obvious signs of abuse and neglect. She is a beautiful Malamute and it makes me so sad to see her so scared of everything. She is getting better with our love and attention, but her fear is still obvious. I hate that man for what he did to her and I would love to see him do extensive jail time.