VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. -- A 56-year-old woman has been charged after allegedly abandoning 11 dogs in a Lawton apartment.
Nina Sparks was charged Friday with felony animal cruelty and abandonment, according to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.
Ten dogs and one puppy were discovered at an apartment in the 500 block of N. Main Street Jan. 26. They had no food or water, and a neighbor told investigators that the former tenant vacated the apartment three weeks earlier.
Sparks faces a $5,000 fine and up to six years behind bars if convicted because of her habitual offender status, investigators said. She's currently being held on a $2,500 bond and is due back in 7th District Court at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 18.
All dogs were sent to an Animal Rescue and are ready for adoption. If you are interested in adopting one, you can call Jerry Schuman on Monday, Feb. 9, between the hours of 10 a.m. - 5 pm., at the VBC Animal Control Shelter (269) 621-4624.
