An appeals court has tossed the animal cruelty conviction and charges against a Town of Wallkill woman because police officers went onto her property without a warrant. According to RecordOnline.com, last week the Supreme Court Appellate Term, Second Department dismissed the 8 counts of animal cruelty, 54 counts of inadequate shelter and 4 counts of failure to seek adequate veterinary care against Sylvia Panetta.
The 72-year-old, who once had 70 Rottweiler dogs, was reportedly charged in 2012 after officials discovered that some of the dogs were malnourished, injured, and/or living in open pens or "dirty igloo-style dog houses."
Since police allegedly secured a search warrant hours after they went onto Panetta's property the appeals court ordered that all evidence obtained through the improper warrants be suppressed.
Read the RecordOnline.com story here.
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