(WXMI) — The judge overseeing Lisa Cober's criminal case issued an order this week saying she would have to pay back the full amount of restitution she received as part of her sentence.
Seventy-eight dogs were seized from Cober's Norton Shores home back on Jan. 30, 2023.
The dogs, many in poor health, were distributed among local shelters and rescues, including Big Lake Humane Society and Harbor Humane Society.
The shelters are still facing outstanding bills for the care of the dogs, many of which required extensive medical treatment for conditions such as canine distemper, parvovirus and malnutrition.
While Cober pleaded guilty to one count of animal neglect, her attorney requested that donations received by the shelters in recent months be counted towards her restitution amount.
Muskegon
Woman who had 78 dogs seized wants her restitution lowered
She was facing just over $37,000 in restitution.
The Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office pushed for her to personally pay the full amount.
"When it comes to cruelty or neglect to animals, we take that very seriously," Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson told FOX 17 Friday. "We felt it was only right that the agencies that kind of took care and custody of those animals when they were seized be compensated."
They had filed a motion for order of restitution, stating Cober should pay two shelters that housed, cared for and facilitated the adoptions of the dogs seized from her home for their work and time.
They argued that Harbor Humane Society and Big Lake Humane Society should both count as victims under the Crime Victim's Rights Act (CVRA).
Cober pushed back, saying those organizations received donations during the time the animals were in their care that were likely used to provide food, vet care, boarding, adoption and postmortem services and that the shelters should not be considered victims.
The courts heard arguments on Dec. 3.
But on Thursday, the defense's request to have the amount stricken or reduced was denied, whereas the prosecutor's motion to include restitution to be paid to both shelters was granted.
Cober was ordered to pay $15,474.41 to Harbor Humane Society and $21,958.86 to Big Lake Humane Society.
Interestingly, Judge Kacel noted in his three-page order that there wasn't much legal precedent for the case, writing, "Unfortunately, after diligent search, this Court cannot find any case law that provides guidance to this Court as to how it should characterize donations made from anonymous community members to a victim under the CVRA."
The judge continued, "Most of the cases that address MCL 780.766(8) deal with reimbursement made to a victim or victims from an insurance company, credit card agency or bank/credit union."
Alexis Robertson, executive director at Big Lake Humane Society, told FOX 17 that their team was happy to finally have the case over with.
"We are relieved to learn of the judge’s ruling that Ms. Cober must pay restitution to the rescue organizations, and that donations raised to support our efforts will not offset her responsibility. This decision has been almost two years in the making, and while we wish the punishment had been more severe to deter future cases like this, we are grateful to finally move forward," she said in a statement.
"This case took a heavy toll on our organization and team, and we are ready to focus on rebuilding and continuing our work to serve animals in need. We will also remain steadfast in advocating for stronger animal protection laws and accountability for those who harm them."
Read the judge's full opinion here:
Muskegon County Cober Resitution Ruling by WXMI on Scribd
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