MANISTEE COUNTY - Michigan State Police said a Thompsonville woman has been arrested on animal cruelty charges.
On Oct. 8 around 10:45 a.m., a trooper from the Michigan State Police Cadillac Post was called to a report of animals at large. Upon arrival at the scene, the trooper saw a woman, identified as 61-year-old Carolyn Jean Braun from Thompsonville, with several dogs as they were being loaded into a pickup truck, officials said.
Braun stated she was taking the dogs to a veterinary appointment downstate, troopers said.
The trooper asked which office and Braun provided the name. The trooper called the veterinary office and was told they had no appointment scheduled for Braun, officials said.
An inspection of the premises revealed the dogs had been living in very poor conditions, troopers said.
Braun told the trooper she had 11 dogs, but when they counted them together, she realized she had more, troopers said. The trooper counted 17 dogs.
The dogs were seized by Manistee County Animal Control, troopers said.
A report was turned over to the Manistee County Prosecutor’s Office and an arrest warrant was issued for Braun, who was arrested at her property in Thompsonville, troopers said.
During her arrest, another dog was located inside a large conversion van, troopers said. The dog was turned over to Manistee County Animal Control.
Braun was arraigned in the 85th District Court in Manistee County on one count abandoning/cruelty to animals 10 or more but fewer than 25, one count stray dog, and one count failure to keep dogs vaccinated.