MUSKEGON, Mich. — A judge in Muskegon heard testimony Monday morning regarding what should happen to the animals currently living at Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary.
The owner of Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary, Brenda Pearson, appeared before Judge Annette R. Smedley at 9:30 a.m. Monday for a forfeiture hearing regarding the 47 wolf dogs said to be in their care.
Howling Timbers began operating in the early 1990's as one of the few places in Michigan able to take in wolf-dogs. Their operations and efforts have grown over the years, particularly after Michigan state law changed in 2000, making it illegal to own any sort of dog-wolf cross as a residential pet.
“30 years we’ve been doing this and that’s all I know, I cant remember what life was like before them,” Brenda Pearson told FOX 17 during a break in the hearing Monday.
“They’re a lot of work, and they’re a lot of expense, but we love them, and we made a commitment to them.”
She is currently facing both civil and criminal charges related to the wolf dogs on her property.
In 2020, officers with the Michigan DNR served a search warrant on the sanctuary after becoming aware of reports that a child and a volunteer had been injured by a wolf-dog.
In the process of serving that warrant, two fawns, six red foxes, three coyotes, and four box turtles were removed from Howling Timbers. According to the DNR, they were not properly licensed to house the animals.
They also found 47 wolf dogs living there at the time, saying they were not properly licensed to house those either.
In court Monday, during a forfeiture hearing in the civil case, the prosecution claimed the sanctuary hasn’t’ been properly licensed to house wolf dogs since 2018.
A defense attorney for Pearson and her husband asked Judge Smedley Monday for more time before proceeding with the hearing, saying they did not have an appropriate amount of time to look over evidentiary material from the prosecution.
Judge Smedley denied their request, and the forfeiture hearing proceeded.
“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into this... not just my husband and I, but our families and volunteers, and we know the kind of care we provide for the animals. So to hear them say that... it's very difficult,” Pearson said.
“But, I’m still very optimistic because I can’t imagine life any other way.”
The prosecution showed multiple photos in court Monday of injuries allegedly caused by wolf dogs living at Howling Timbers.
One of those photos appeared to show an arm with open wounds on it, detached from a body, which prosecutors said was ripped off by a wolf-dog.
The defense saying the injuries were the result of a tragic accident that happened when the girl pulled on a wolf-dog's collar, and proceeded to get caught on a fence in a scuffle.
Prosecutors, in response, claimed there have been at least 4 people injured by wolf dogs in recent years at Howling Timbers.
“The reason that this hearing is scheduled in the manner it is, is we are talking about 46 wolf-dog hybrids that people believe are one, not hosted ethically for the animals, two, pose a danger to the community and the public, and three, are not legally kept,” assistant Muskegon County prosecutor Amol Huprika said Monday.
Pearson is also facing criminal charges as a result of the investigation by the DNR in 2020. She is facing a felony count of Dangerous Animal Causing Serious Injury, and a misdemeanor violation of the Wolf Dog Cross Act.
A trial date for those charges has not yet been set.
Howling Timbers posted on their Facebook page on October 14, saying, “We have held off making a public comment, but no longer. The trial for the forfeiture of all our animals is going forward on Monday. There are no sanctuaries for all our animals, the DNR has no placement, so the Prosecutor of Muskegon County is forcing the death of all our animals IF PLACEMENT IS NOT OBTAINED. The blood of our beloved animals is in the hands of the County Prosecutor, the DNR, and MDARD. This is an atrocity in the first magnitude!”
That post has been shared over 1,000 times.
After it began picking up steam on social media, the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement of their own on Friday, October 15, saying in part, “There has been false information and false claims made on social media about a pending court case involving animals in the custody of a local Muskegon County Defendant. Our office supports animal rights and supports the ethical and legal treatment of animals. Our Office will continue to advocate for the safe, legal and appropriate care of all animals, including wolves and wolf-dog mix breeds. We believe that all animals deserve proper care and will do everything in our power to accomplish that goal.”
Monday's hearing wrapped up just before 5 p.m., with proceedings set to continue at a later date,
A woman named Nancy Brown, who owns an animal sanctuary in North Carolina, made an appearance before the Judge as things were wrapping up.
Brown's sanctuary is going to take in 4 of the wolf dogs currently at Howling Timbers. She told the court that she is also in contact with another sanctuary in Alabama, which may be able to take 8 more wolf dogs.
