Taking junkyard dog nets fine, shelter service order
Record will be cleared if woman fulfills sentence
An Okanogan County woman who says she rescued a junkyard dog from deplorable conditions in December must pay a $768 court fine and serve 100 hours at area animal shelters.
A jury found Judy Camp guilty of obstructing justice last month in what prosecutors pursued as a dog theft case. Camp took a blue heeler – also known as an Australian cattle dog – from property near Twisp on a frigid December evening several hours after learning of his existence on an Internet message board.
A veterinarian said the dog, which Camp adopted and named Tank, was dangerously overweight and his vision impaired. Scarring also indicated either a botched neutering attempt or that Tank’s scrotum had frozen to the ground, the veterinarian said.
Criminal charges were filed after Camp lied about owning Tank to a sheriff’s deputy and attempted to spirit him away before he could be returned to his owners, according to court documents. Camp later bought the dog for $500, but prosecutors still sought charges of pet theft, making false statements and obstructing justice.
An Okanogan District Court jury cleared Camp of the two more serious charges but found her guilty on the misdemeanor charge of obstruction. A judge on Friday handed down the sentence, which will be scrubbed from Camp’s criminal record if it is fulfilled within 10 months.
After the initial story about the case ran in The Spokesman-Review, several readers asked how they could contribute to Camp’s legal fund. Camp has set up a PayPal account for donations. Money can be sent to her email address at erwinslileden@aol.com. Those who wish to mail her may do so at: P.O. Box 14, Carlton, WA 98814.