FARGO (KFGO-AM) -- A judge has sentenced a former dog breeder from rural Wheatland, North Dakota to probation for neglecting about 170 puppies and dogs that were seized by the Cass County Sheriff's Dept. last July.
Darcy Smith pleaded guilty. He was put on two years of supervised probation and ordered to pay fees and fines of just over $2,300.
A prosecutor did not ask for any jail time saying Smith cooperated with the investigation. She says it was a case of neglect, not animal abuse.
Smith's lawyer says he became overwhelmed by the number of dogs he was caring for. He says Smith has no plans to get back into the dog breeding business.