Adoption

response

huge for seized dogs

Odegaard's court appearance set

for Monday

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

RICHFIELD -- The public response to a call for help for dozens of dogs seized Tuesday from a Stately Township farm in the southwestern corner of Brown County has been great, according to Minnesota Federated Humane Societies General Counsel Tim Shields.

About 50 people volunteered to help, and 150 calls regarding pet adoption were received at his office by Friday.

One of the dogs gave birth not long after the animals arrived at a hobby farm near St. Peter. Some of the puppies were stillborn. The mother dog and puppies are now living at a foster care family.

Two of the seized dogs were mastiffs -- rare, large, powerful, short-haired dogs. They are now in the care of a Springfield veterinarian.

If a hearing is not requested and a $6,500 bond posted by 52-year-old Amelia Odegaard by Friday, Aug. 9, the dogs will be put up for adoption through a variety of local humane societies throughout the state, Shields said.

Odegaard is scheduled to appear in Brown County District Court at 9 a.m. Monday to face misdemeanor charges of overworking or mistreating animals by neglecting her dogs and depriving them of necessary food, water or shelter; and not providing proper dog house shelter.

Shields said the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies will "vigorously defend any attempt by (Odegaard) to get any of her dogs back."

He doesn't expect Odegaard to get a stiff penalty if the charges stick -- maybe a year or two of probation. Shields said he will look into more serious charges against Odegaard.

"Mrs. Odegaard is a perfect example of how hard it is to control people with animal hoarding problems," Shields said. "It seems criminal law doesn't reach them."

Shields said the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies worked for five years to pass a bill making it a felony for animal owners to cause death or great bodily harm to pets and companion animals.

"With Minnesota being such an agricultural state, we got lots of opposition to the bill," Shields said. "Minnesota is falling behind 25-30 states with its animal cruelty laws."

Shields claimed that photographs and video tape taken at the Odegaard farm showed evidence of dead dogs in various states of decomposition in wooded areas near the farm house.

Odegaard was not available for comment Friday.