A couple charged in the abandonment of 31 Husky-type dogs will serve time in jail after being sentenced in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Friday.
Jacob M. McCowan, 45, and Jessica L. Smurthwaite, 31, were charged in late January with abandoning 31 dogs in southwestern Bonner County, parts of Kootenai County and in Pend Oreille County, Wash. Plea agreements were later reached with both in the case, dropping the number of charges against McCowan to 10 and the number of charges against Smurthwaite to two since the extent of her involvement could not be determined.
Like many small businesses and nonprofits in the region, Better Together Animal Alliance recently announced a change in hours due in part to staffing challenges.
“With fewer applicants for positions, and team members leaving the area, we’ve made the decision to transition away from being open to the public seven days a week,” Mandy Evans, BTAA executive director, said. “We know that labor challenges in our region aren’t going away in the near future and we need to ensure the staff we do retain aren’t stretched too thin.”
To help animals find their forevr homes faster and create space in its nearly-full animal care center Better Together Animal Alliance is waiving the adoption fees of all adult pets next month.
PONDERAY, Idaho The Better Together Animal Alliance, an animal shelter in Ponderay, just received a $20,000 grant to improve its helpline and telehealth services.