ESCANABA — A Maple Ridge Township woman who was arrested in 2020 for operating a puppy mill has pleaded guilty as charged, canceling a jury trial set to begin Monday. Rebecca Sue Johnson pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of Abandoning/Cruelty to 25 of more animals, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, and animal-shelters/pounds – unregistered, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail.

The charges stem from an investigation that began on Aug. 24, 2020, when a Michigan State Police trooper responded to a report of a horse running loose on the roadway in Maple Ridge Township. The horse was secured, and during the course of her investigation, the trooper observed a large number of dogs that appeared to be underweight on Johnson’s property and an overwhelming smell of feces. Further investigation lead the trooper to discover more dogs in outdoor kennels that appeared to be underweight, with matted fur and visible injuries.

A total of 135 dogs and 23 horses were seized from the property, all of which were immediately taken in by the Delta Animal Shelter, were medically evaluated, and received necessary treatments. Of the 135 dogs, 69 were puppies and many of the adult dogs were pregnant, causing the total number of dogs in the shelter’s care to balloon to nearly 200.

On Jan. 11, 2021, in a hearing broadcast via Zoom and attended virtually by around 200 people, Johnson forfeited the animals. The Delta Animal Shelter then began the process of allowing the dogs and horses to be adopted.

In January of this year, Trooper Lisa Kanyuh of the Michigan State Police Gladstone Post, who led the initial investigation into the puppy mill in 2020, received information from the Delta Animal Shelter and the Negaunee Vet Clinic that Johnson had brought in a dog with the intent to breed it. A bond violation hearing was held in Delta County Circuit Court, where she was found guilty of the violation and sentenced to one month in jail.

Following Wednesday’s plea, Johnson is slated to be sentenced on the criminal charges on July 7 at 2 p.m. in Delta County Circuit Court.

“This is a win for the whole community,” said Acting Delta County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman in a press release issued Wednesday following Johnson’s plea. “The way the people of Delta County responded to the needs of these animals is just incredible. Law enforcement and the volunteers with the Delta Animal Shelter made this case such as success, both inside and outside the courtroom. Our office wanted to make it a priority that she be held accountable for the conditions those animals lived in. No plea offer was ever even considered in this circumstance.”

Wickman also thanked the efforts of the Michigan State Police; Delta County Sheriff’s Office; Bay Veterinary Clinic; D&D Dog Dynamics; Pampered Pets Grooming; Countryside Veterinary Clinic; and the staff, volunteers, and foster families of the Delta Animal Shelter.