Two women claiming to be reputable dog breeders are facing multiple felonies after Yellowstone County law enforcement pulled dozens of starved and neglected dogs off a Shepherd property late last month.
Katie Marie Milliken and Rebekkah Lynn Collins pleaded not guilty Friday to counts of animal cruelty in Yellowstone County District Court. The two sisters allegedly held 42 dogs, most of them Newfoundlands, in kennels fouled with urine and feces but with no access to food or water.
The ages of the animals ranged from pups to full-grown adults, many of whom were far from a healthy weight and suffering from infections, court documents said. Investigators executing the search warrant that preceded the criminal charges also allegedly found decaying dog carcasses on the property. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office removed all 42 dogs found during the search.
“Since the dogs have been in the care of the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office,” wrote Yellowstone County prosecutors in charging documents filed Oct. 3, “they have gained weight and responded to medical treatment.”
In early September, a woman bought a Newfoundland bitch from Milliken, court documents said. Prior to the purchase, Milliken met the woman at Lake Elmo to show her the dog, Esme. The woman allegedly saw immediately that Esme was emaciated. A trip to a veterinary clinic confirmed as much, with a veterinarian determining that Esme was anemic and suffering from giardiasis and a urinary tract infection, according to charging documents.
The woman connected with Milliken via the Crystal Waters Newfoundlands website. As of Friday, the site still listed dogs and puppies for sale, many of whom were eventually seized by YCSO.
Health records for the 8-year-old dog allegedly showed her weighing 110 pounds in June 2023. Milliken took ownership of Esme the following summer. At Esme’s visit to the vet in early September of this year, court documents said she weighed 62 pounds.
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The dog’s condition prompted the woman to make a complaint to YCSO. On Sept. 11, a YCSO deputy and animal control officer visited Milliken’s property on 12 Mile Road, court documents said. Milliken’s sister, Rebekkah Collins, met the two officers, according to charging documents. Milliken, who was allegedly out of town, spoke with the officers via Collins’ speaker phone.
When officers asked to see the dogs, Collins allegedly led them to a shed where over a dozen dogs were in kennels. The individual kennels measured 3 by 4 feet, court documents said, with as many as three dogs in each kennel. There was no food or water in any of the kennels, according to charging documents. Inside the home on the property, officers noted more dogs and puppies who did not have access to food or water.
On Sept. 25, deputies executed a search warrant on the property, with 15 members of the sheriff’s office conducting the search, along with a veterinarian. In total, law enforcement removed 37 Newfoundlands and five Australian shepherds from 17 different spots around the property.
While searching the grounds, one YCSO detective found evidence of partially buried dog carcasses, court documents said. Of the 42 dogs seized, well over half were severely malnourished, according to charging documents. Veterinarians who assessed the animals allegedly confirmed multiple cases of eye and ear infections and dogs with their coats caked with feces.
One of the dogs, an adult Newfoundland named Torres, was suffering from spinal issues and a suspected injury to one of his legs that may require amputation. When groomers were shaving off his coat, court documents said they had to pull out pieces of wire that had become tangled in the fur around his leg, belly and groin.
All of the removed dogs received veterinary care, according to charging documents, and those that needed them were microchipped. YSCO will maintain the responsibility of caring for the animals until the case against Milliken and Collins is resolved.
During their appearances in court Friday, both pleaded not guilty to the accusations and were allowed to remain outside of custody under the conditions that they do not own or care for any dogs. If convicted of aggravated animal cruelty, the most serious crime they’re facing, they could be sentenced up to two years to the Montana Department of Corrections.
Milliken had previously been forced by a court order to give up ownership of two horses she had adopted from a local animal rescue non-profit. In 2023, according to a civil suit filed in Yellowstone County District Court, Milliken adopted a filly and an adult horse from a rescue organization, only for a representative from the organization to find both animals were underweight and had no access to hay or water on Milliken’s property. A Yellowstone County judge ordered Milliken to return the horses after she failed to respond to the lawsuit.
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