HELENA — The first of the 38 husky dogs that were involved in an alleged animal cruelty case are ready to be adopted.
"We're super excited to get these guys into their forever homes and get them on their way," said Kelsee Dalton Watts, the director of Lewis & Clark Humane Society. "It's always a real bummer when they have to sit down here in a holding pattern."
WATCH:
The 32 dogs seized in the alleged animal cruelty case are now the property of the Lewis and Clark Humane Society (LCHS) after being relinquished from their owner, Heather Dawn Prody.
"My whole staff cheered. We were so excited because these cruelty cases – it seems like they can go on forever," said Dalton Watts. "It's not fair to the dogs to sit down here, and it's really hard on the staff to watch them."
Some of the dogs were pregnant at the time of being taken in by the shelter, so now there are 38 huskies.
LCHS says they are paying roughly $760 every day for these animals.
Previously, LCHS only had them in their care, and without custody, what they could do for the dogs was limited.
"We can't treat things that are not life-saving. We have to be really careful about our handling, and they can't leave the property," said Dalton Watts.
LCHS is working with partner shelters across the state to transfer and trade dogs for a larger variety.
The shelter says they will slowly start putting the huskies on the adoption floor, with the first few already available.
More information about animals available for adoption at the Lewis and Clark Humane Society can be found on their website.
(FEBRUARY 11, 2025) The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office has seized 32 dogs as part of an alleged animal cruelty case. The animals are being housed by the Lewis and Clark Humane Society, putting the shelter at capacity.
According to court documents, the dogs were seized earlier this month from a home in the Northwest Helena Valley. Deputies described the animals as appearing malnourished with skeletal structures visible.
“Our local animal control officer responded to an address and looked at the condition of the dogs and saw that they were just, they were terrible,” said Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
Heather Dawn Prody was arrested on charges of felony aggravated animal cruelty and misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer. Court documents say two of the dogs needed immediate emergency veterinarian care; one dog was found dead.
“There were 32 dogs, they did find one deceased dog that had been placed into an outbuilding, and there were multiple, probably 22, dogs inside the house all crammed inside, and it was just unsanitary conditions”, said Sheriff Leo Dutton.
Deputies reported the dogs had no access to food or water.
The animals are now at the Lewis and Clark Humane Society. Housing and caring for the large influx of dogs has been a significant and unforeseen financial burden on the shelter.
“It will cost approximately $20,000 a month to have this number of dogs here right now, and that burden goes on the Sheriff’s office. That’s why we want this to go through the court process as soon as we can,” said Sheriff Dutton.
(Watch the video to hear about the dog's adoption status from Sheriff Leo Dutton)
The future of the dogs depends on the outcome of court proceedings. Dogs involved in the seizure are considered evidence and can not be adopted out until either the owner surrenders the animals voluntarily or the court orders their release to the Humane Society.
More information about ways to support the Lewis and Clark Humane Society can be found here.
