Oct. 27-According to an article in the Martinsville Bulletin,General District Court Judge Edwin Gendron will take under advisement for one year the case of Betty Sue Haynes, Claudville, who was charged with animal cruelty.

Dog case is heard Judge puts off ruling for a year Thursday, October 27, 2011 By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer Patrick County General District Court Judge Edwin Gendron will take under advisement for a year the case of a woman charged with animal cruelty. Betty Sue Haynes, 39, of Claudville, was charged Sept. 1 with 68 counts of animal cruelty after Patrick County animal control officers found dogs on her property in allegedly inadequate conditions. After hearing from several witnesses Wednesday, including Haynes, and reviewing adoption, veterinary and other records, Gendron said Haynes had “an excellent record-keeping system ... At this stage, I don’t think putting her in jail or fining her would serve any� practical purpose. An animal control officer will randomly check on the dogs, and Gendron suggested Haynes keep fewer dogs. The number will be at the officer’s discretion. Gendron will make a final disposition on the charges on Oct. 26, 2012. When she took the stand Wednesday, Haynes, dressed in a mint green shirt and dark slacks, testified that she rescued strays and other unwanted animals and cared for them until she could find them homes. She also transferred some to other adoption agencies, she testified. She said she and her husband left their property Aug. 26 on a routine trip to take some dogs to new homes in Connecticut. Haynes’ mother was to care for the remaining dogs in Haynes’ absence, and Haynes testified she had bought enough dog food to last for the two days she expected to be gone. She estimated that the dogs eat an average of 75 pounds of food each day. The dogs ran out of food after Haynes’ van developed mechanical problems in New Jersey, and she was unable to return until late Aug. 30, she testified. Haynes’ mother does not drive and was unable to get more food for the dogs, Haynes said. When Haynes returned, she brought several bags of dog food with her. Haynes testified she generally cleans the kennels and water containers on Mondays and more often if needed. Animal Control Officer Dale Owens testified that he visited the property Aug. 31 and photographed various sizes and breeds of dogs in kennels, lots and other areas. There were more than 70 dogs on the property on Squirrel Creek Road, according to court testimony. Describing photos to the court, Owens said that a row of side kennels, so-called because they were located to the right of the home, held from one to five or six dogs each. There also were dogs in kennels behind the home that were connected in a U-shape, he said. One of those kennels held puppies, Owens said. Another large kennel area, which Owens said he considered a dog lot, also held several dogs. Some kennels held up to nine dogs, Owens testified. He described the dogs in each area and testified that all of the dogs lacked food, all but one had access only to “green-colored water,� and some lacked shelter or there was inadequate shelter for the number of dogs contained in the kennel. Two dogs in different kennels were dead, and the kennels needed to be cleaned, he said. Owens testified that one of the dead dogs was “stiff, but it had not bloated.� He said he did not see the other carcass. When he spoke to Haynes by phone that day, Owens testified that she was at a veterinarian’s office with two dogs. After Haynes was charged, animal control officers seized the dogs. However, many were left on her property, overseen by an animal control officer, because there was not room for them at the county pound, Sheriff Dan Smith has said. Seated Wednesday with her defense attorney, Public Defender Matthew Clark, Haynes listened to testimony from Owens; Wanda Vaden, also an animal control officer and a pound attendant; and Rachel Touroo, a staff veterinarian for animal care with the Virginia Department of Agriculture in Richmond. Vaden testified that on Aug. 30, she went to Haynes’ property and found the dogs without food. Vaden said she helped Haynes’ mother unload about 75 pounds of dog food from Vaden’s vehicle to feed the dogs. Vaden also testified that the water was of poor quality and was green. Patrick County Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Vipperman called Touroo as an expert witness and asked her to look at the photos and describe any conditions that appeared to be cruel treatment. Touroo testified that one of the dogs appeared to be emaciated and that another suffered from hair loss and appeared to have a secondary skin infection. She said water should be changed at least daily, especially in warm temperatures, and that adult dogs may be fed once a day, but puppies or lactating females should be fed more often. Since she started the rescue operation, Haynes testified she has placed a total of 491 dogs, the majority of which were moved to new homes. Eighty-three were transferred to other rescue groups, she said. Haynes said she charges an average adoption fee of $200 per dog and does make some money. The majority is spent caring for the remaining dogs, she testified. She pays taxes on any profits, she added.