Woman who had 78 dogs seized from home takes plea deal

Matt Jaworowski
·2 min read
5

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman accused of animal neglect after dozens of dogs were removed from her home has made a plea deal with prosecutors.

Court documents show Lisa Cober filed her plea Thursday, just days before she was set to go to trial on a felony animal cruelty charge.

Police: 78 dogs seized from Norton Shores home

In exchange for her guilty plea, Muskegon County prosecutors have recommended she not serve any jail time and instead be sentenced to probation or house arrest.

Cober was arrested in January 2023 after police searched her Norton Shores home following a tip from an area animal shelter. She ran a sanctuary called Cober’s Canine Shelter. In all, 78 living dogs were seized from the home, including many that were in “poor health” and “dreadful” living conditions.

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Following the seizure, the Norton Shores Police Department said at least 25 of the dogs were sick or injured, and that eight puppies had died at the house from a distemper outbreak and two more had to be euthanized.

That distemper outbreak eventually spread to the Big Lake Humane Society, one of four local agencies to take in the rescued dogs, killing two dogs unaffiliated with Cober’s Canines.

  • Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman's Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
    Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman’s Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
  • Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman's Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
    Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman’s Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
  • Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman's Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
    Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman’s Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (WOOD TV8 file)
  • Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman's Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)
    Police found 78 dogs living in unfit conditions at a woman’s Norton Shores home. They were taken to an animal shelter to be evaluated. (Jan. 31, 2023)

Big Lake Humane Society executive director Alexis Robertson told News 8 last March that the two dogs who contracted the virus received their first doses of distemper vaccine, but the virus took hold before the vaccine could make an impact. In all, 21 dogs died of distemper directly connected to Cober’s Canines.

Distemper death toll connected to Cober’s Canines now at 11

Distemper is a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system in dogs and puppies. The most common symptoms are lethargy and a lack of appetite, but distemper is usually diagnosed after nervous issues, including loss of balance and twitches. Vaccines are widely available and American Humane considers it one of the “core vaccines” for dogs.

Cober faced a reduced felony charge of animal cruelty to 10 or more but fewer than 25 animals. If convicted, she faced up to four years in prison, a fine up to $5,000 and up to 500 hours of community service.

Her sentencing hearing is set for May 6.

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