Charges: Woman Left Dogs, Puppies Hungry In Filthy, Steaming Home

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A southern Minnesota woman is accused of abandoning several dogs last month without food or water in her squalid, steaming home.

Jodi Lynn Redford, of Eagle Lake, is charged via summons with one count of mistreating animals, documents filed in Blue Earth County show.

According to a criminal complaint, local police received numerous calls in early September of dogs barking at Redford's home on Country Manor at all hours of the day.

One neighbor told police that one of the dogs was injured and that Redford hadn't been home for days.

After Redford's probation officer told investigators that she was now staying in nearby Rapidan, officers monitored her home. When she didn't return over a 30-hour period, they entered.

Inside, they found 12 dogs – four adults and eight puppies – without food or water, the criminal complaint states.

Two of the adults were in kennels, standing in their own waste. Meanwhile, the rest of the home was covered with urine and feces. With the windows shut, temperatures inside reached close to 100 degrees.

A veterinarian who accompanied officers examined the dogs and determined they were dehydrated and hungry. The dogs were brought to a veterinary center for treatment.

If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, Redford faces a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

She is slated to appear in court next month.