Webb Puppy Mill Busted - Tennessee

UPDATE 1/25/2001

"Date: Fri., 21 Apr 2000 12:33:34 EDT

After spending the morning talking with the Shelter housing Sandra Webb's dogs and with Deb Cooper, the Rescue Coordinator for the CSPCA here is the  information.  **Please feel free to cross-post.**

(Jackson, TN)  The Shelter confiscated 101 dogs...75 of which were Shar-Pei (the others were Bull Terriers, Mastiffs, Dobermans, American Bulldogs, and Basenji).  All the Shar-Pei are tick & flea infested, have eye problems, skin problems (incl. sarcoptic mange, demodex and untreated allergies), severe staph infections, coccidia, giardia, hookworms, whipworms, roundworms and tapeworms. All the dogs have been heartworm tested but the results of those tests are not back in yet.  Quite a few of those dogs have also had skin scrapes to determine their skin problems, the results of which are also not back in yet.  There are several pregnant dogs including one who is partially blind, very bowlegged and undernourished.   Ages range from 5 week old puppies to older adult dogs.  As of right now, the dogs are being housed at this Shelter although a few will be coming here within the next few weeks.

The first court date is May 11th.  They do expect the Webbs to fight so it is possible that this could be a long, drawn-out battle in which case the dogs will be the victims.  These dogs cannot be adopted out or fostered (out of state) until after the Courts have given custody of the dogs to the Shelter."

Here is further information from Wendy:

"Here is the Shelter info..

Jackson Madison County H.S.
Jackson, TN 38305
3107 Paul Coffman Rd. - (901) 422-5366

The Shelter Manager's name is Jenny.  The Chinese Shar-Pei Club of America is accepting donations on behalf of the Shelter for the 75 Shar-Pei, which were the dogs in the worse shape.  The Dobermans were the Webbs' personal dogs and in great shape, there were only two Basenjis and I think they are fine.   Not sure about the other breeds.   If you take the Pei, Dobes, and Basenjis out of the mix, there are only 19 dogs left and I am not sure of the status of them."

If you can help with donations, please contact either the Jackson Madison County Humane Society (contact information above) or one of the rescue co-chairmen for The Chinese Shar-pei Club of America, Inc. (contact information at http://www.cspca.com/Rescue.htm).

Received from Wendy 1/25/01

Sandra and Nicole Webb (Mother & Daughter) were charged with 101 counts of animal cruelty.  On December 7, 2000 they were found guilty on 48 counts and the remaining 53 counts were either "hung jury" or "not guilty".  An Order of Forfeiture for the 48 dogs in the guilty group was signed by Madison Co. Judge Roger Page.  The Sentencing Hearing was held January 2nd.   During that hearing, Judge Page ruled the following:

(1) The Webbs cannot own any pets for 10 years.
(2) 50 hours of community service.
(3) Fines of $10,000 total given by the Jury were upheld by Judge Page.
(4) A jail sentence of 11 months and 29 days was imposed and then suspended EXCEPT for 60 days that was to begin on April 2nd.  They were placed on probation until their report date on April 2nd.
(5) The Webbs had 90 days to sell (fair market value) the 53 dogs in the hung or not guilty group.
(6) The Judge entered a lien against the 53 dogs on behalf of the Jackson-Madison Co. Humane Society in lieu of restitution for the dogs care.  The amount of the lien was not determined at that time.

The story could stop there.  However, on January 10, 2001, a routine check by the Webbs probation officers found 15 dogs and one cat at their residence.  Sandra Webb was arrested at the scene.  Nicole Webb was arrested the following day thanks to a concerned Jackson citizen who reported her
whereabouts to the police.

On January 16, 2001, Judge Page ordered both Webbs to immediately serve 11 months and 29 days in jail for disregarding his previous order to not own or possses any animals for 10 years.  Judge Page also declined to set bail.    The Webbs will be eligible for early release after nine months.  If released
early, they will be placed on probation and made to serve their community service.   If they serve the full sentence, the probation and community service are dropped.   Either way, they are still responsible for the fines and they cannot own animals for 10 years.

From Judge Page on Tuesday, January 16, 2001:  "There can be no question that they knew they were not to possess any dogs.  I've never seen such a blatant disregard for this court's orders." 

The Webbs attorney argued that these new dogs were actually owned by a woman (Amanda Davis) living in the Webbs home.  From Judge Page..."There can be no question that, based on Miss Davis' testimonry, that the Webbs never stopped keeping dogs.  I find Miss Davis' testimony incredible and not true.  I believe they jointly owned these dogs".

The 53 not guilty or hung dogs are still in limbo and not yet available for adoption although they are still in custody of the Jackson-Madison Co. Humane Society.  The 16 new animals will remain on the Webbs property in care of Amanda Davis.

I am certain that the Webbs attorney is already in the process of filing appeals but so far, so good!

-Wendy Cook

Received from Wendy 4/18/2001

Judge gives dogs over to Humane Society  By J.K. DEVINE
The Jackson Sun
Apr. 10, 2001  A Madison County judge ordered 53 dogs previously owned by a mother and daughter convicted of animal cruelty into the hands of the Jackson-Madison County Humane Society on Monday.Sandra Kay Webb, 55, and Tabitha Nicole Webb, 25, were charged with 101 counts of animal cruelty last April. They were convicted on 48 counts of animal cruelty last December. Charges involving 53 other dogs resulted in not guilty or no verdicts.

The Webbs and their attorney, Angela Scott, returned to court Monday with a plan to give the dogs to a couple from Spokane, Wash. But Circuit Court Judge Roger A. Page rejected the plan and ordered the 53 dogs to be forfeited to the state. "I'm making the finding that the defendants failed to provide reasonable care to the animals," Page said. "Having heard the evidence, there's no way I'm letting those dogs go back on that property. "Scott argued that the Spokane couple would provide for the food, water and medical needs of the dogs. But the dogs would remain on the Webbs' property - where the Webbs are no longer living - and be cared for by two people hired by the couple. "The court can be assured that the animals will be cared for," Scott said.

Assistant District Attorney General Jim Thompson objected to the plan because the dogs would live in the same place they were removed from a year ago. He also argued that if the dogs were on the Webb's property that would violate the Webb's probation. At their January sentencing hearing, Page ordered the Webbs not to own or possess any dogs for at least 10 years. He
gave them 90 days to find homes for the remaining 53 dogs. They also were fined $10,000 for the mistreatment of five of the 48 dogs. Page, who had no previous similar cruelty cases to guide him, ordered the dogs into state custody. Members of the humane society in the court hugged, smiled and cried after the judge's decision. "It absolutely made me sick to even think about putting them back into the same situation where we picked them up from," said Jennie Krueger, shelter manager. "The fact that the judge denied their proposal and signed the order of forfeiture of these animals makes me and the dogs very happy.

"The Webbs plan to fight this decision along with the original verdict, with two appeals in the state Criminal Court of Appeals, Scott said. The Webbs declined to comment.

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