ESCANABA — A Maple Ridge Township woman has been sentenced to jail time and a large amount of restitution for operating a puppy mill.

Rebecca Sue Johnson was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of probation for abandoning/cruelty to 25 or more animals Thursday. Johnson was also ordered to perform 500 hours of community service in addition to a court ordered restitution of $619,712 to the Delta Animal Shelter. The sentence was handed down by Judge John Economopoulos in Delta County Circuit Court.

The sentencing was well-attended, both in-person and via Zoom, as volunteers and employees from the Delta Animal Shelter, along with members of the public, waited for Johnson to be sentenced.

“You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals,” Economopoulos said before handing down Johnson’s sentence. “This is something that you decided to do over a period of time … these animals became commerce and a means to a financial end … it is disgraceful.”

Thursday’s sentencing is a result of an investigation that began on Aug. 24, 2020, when Michigan State Police Trooper Lisa Kanyuh of the Gladstone Post responded to a report of a horse running loose on the roadway in Maple Ridge Township. Once the horse was secured, further investigation by the Michigan State Police, Delta County Sheriff’s Office, and the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office of Johnson’s home led the discovery of a large number of underweight dogs in poor living conditions. Many of the animals had matted fur and visible injuries, accompanied by an overwhelming smell of feces.

A total of 135 dogs and 23 horses were taken from the property, all of which were immediately seized by the Delta Animal Shelter, were medically evaluated, and received necessary treatments. Of the 135 dogs, 69 were puppies and nearly all of the female adults were pregnant, causing the total number of dogs and puppies in the shelter’s care to reach 217.

On Nov. 17, 2020, Johnson was charged with abandoning/cruelty to 25 or 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. Just six days later, Johnson posted a $60,000 cash or surety bond. This bond was later amended to prohibit her from purchasing, possessing, or caring for animals.

Economopoulos’s one year jail sentence exceeds the State of Michigan’s sentencing guideline of zero to nine months in jail for Johnson’s case. While the defense council requested a no-incarceration punishment for Johnson, Economopoulos stated an incarcerate punishment in the excess is appropriate for this case.

“Your animal days are done,” Economopoulos said. “If you can’t accept that, I will be seeing you again.”

Throughout the entire legal process, the Delta Animal Shelter had been caring for the seized animals. All of the dogs, puppies, and horses were placed with foster families for about six months before Johnson’s civil forfeiture hearing on Jan. 11, 2021, where she agreed to forfeit the animals that were seized and any that were born after the seizure to the animal shelter or a designated veterinarian.

After the Jan. 11 hearing, the Delta Animal Shelter began the process of allowing the dogs and horses to be adopted. Roughly 95% of the animals were taken in by their foster families, with the remaining animals being adopted out.

Susan Gartland, director of the Delta Animal Shelter, was given a chance to speak at Johnson’s sentencing. Gartland, who stated she was speaking on behalf of the victims of Johnson’s crimes, recalled the day she was informed about the puppy mill. The property was originally believed to be housing 35 dogs. To the surprise of Gartland, shelter staff, and volunteers, the real number far exceeded their expectations.

“No one person can have that many animals … there is no reason for this except greed,” Gartland said. “Greed, money, and public demand. Think of the cash flow of this mill … this is pure evil.”

Gartland continued to share the gruesome details of the case, telling the stories of just a few of the dogs that were rescued. While the name and breeds of each dog differed, their experiences were relatively the same. Most of them had worms, ear infections, open sores, and itching mange. Of the dogs that were female, most were pregnant and malnourished, some even losing the ability to walk.

“Have you ever met a golden retriever that is scared to be touched?” Gartland asked Economopoulos during her statement. “Most of the dogs have terrible PTSD, and that will never go away.”

In January of this year, Kanyuh was informed by the 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 and she was found guilty of the violation and sentenced to one month in jail.

After her release, Johnson’s bond condition stated that she may not tend, care, possess, or reside with any individuals who have pets or animals and will be subject to search at any time by law enforcement until the scheduled circuit court jury trial set to begin on May 2. This jury trial was canceled, however, after Johnson entered a plea agreement on April 27. These bond conditions, however, will continue to be applied to Johnson after she has served her jail and probation time.

Acting Delta County Prosecutor Lauren Wickman had all of her sentencing recommendations met by Economopoulos Wednesday, including the exact amount of restitution ordered by the court.

“[Johnson] had almost 250 animals, 10 times more than is allowed to be accounted for,” Wickman said. “It is unfathomable that one person thought they could handle that.”

Johnson declined to comment at sentencing. She will serve her sentence in the Delta County Jail.