Woman prohibited from owning animal businesses

Staff report

SEBRING

A North Benton woman who was charged with several counts of failing to provide proper care to dogs at her kennel business in February was sentenced to 165 days in jail Thursday.

Terri Wylie, 58, also is prohibited from owning any business having to do with animals.

Wylie pleaded guilty to 11 counts of failure to provide proper veterinary care and a single count of unsanitary/unhealthy care of an animal, both misdemeanors, in Mahoning County Area Court in Sebring before Judge Diane Vettori.

Judge Vettori sentenced her to 30 days in the county jail on each count but also suspended half the sentence on each count. Court records show she is scheduled to report to the jail today.

She also was placed on five years’ probation, and under the terms of the probation, humane agents from Animal Charity are eligible to inspect her home at any time. During the period she is on probation, she is allowed to own only one dog, a terrier named Stryker, according to court records.

Humane agents served a search warrant at her North Johnson Road home Jan. 17 and seized 105 dogs. They said Wylie’s home was “a puppy mill,” where the animals were kept on separate parts of the property and cleaned up for prospective buyers.

The warrant was served after humane agents received a complaint from someone who purchased a puppy Jan. 7. The person had bought a puppy from Wylie, and the puppy was taken to a veterinarian with several medical problems, including ear mites and an infection on its back.

The person returned the puppy, and instead of receiving money back, received another puppy — which had the same medical problems. As the warrant was being served, at least four people showed up to get dogs they purchased from Wylie online.

The majority of the dogs were teacup Yorkshire terriers, Yorkshire terriers and pit-bull mixes. They were taken in by Animal Charity to be adopted.