by Jan Anderson, editor

     An animal abuse case against a Jefferson City man will most likely be very costly for Jefferson County to prosecute, County Attorney Matt Johnson told the county commission November 1.

     While many sources have generously stepped up with donations to aid in caring for the 161 Malamutes removed from the home of defendant Mike Kurt Chilinski, costs are mounting, said Johnson.

     Even before the arrest of Chilinski, the Humane Society of the U. S. (HSUS) and the Lewis & Clark Humane Society (LCHS) marshaled resources to prepare for housing the dogs as the case unwinds. That was extremely generous of the organization, said Johnson.

     “They could have told us, ‘Sorry. You as a county used to give us donations and you decided not to,’” said Johnson.

     Instead, the HSUS provided an immediate donation of $25,000 and helped get the word out about the needs to care for the animals, efforts that brought in donations of materials, dog food and more, he said.

     “The Humane Society really stepped up for Jefferson County in a huge way,” said Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle.

     In a press release issued November 1, the LCHS said it costs about $2400 a day to care for the dogs.

     If convicted, Chilinski could be ordered to pay restitution for the costs of caring for the dogs, but there is no assurance of such an order or of payment, said Johnson.

     It takes an estimated six to nine months for a case to make its way through the local district court, said Johnson. Asked how long it might be before the dogs can be adopted out, Johnson said, “If I had a magic wand it would have been done yesterday.” But that is not realistic, he said.

     Asked by Commissioner Dave Kirsch whether there is a plea bargain in the works in the case, Johnson said discussing that would be an ethics violation.

     Johnson said he asked for the issue to be on the commission agenda to appeal for a pledge of future support from the county to the Humane Society.

     “I don’t think we could care for them [the Malamutes] without the assistance of the Humane Society,” he said.

     On November 1 the county and Humane Society announced the dogs had been moved from the Lewis & Clark Humane Society to an undisclosed, more secure location.

     “When we were first called by the Sheriff’s officials to help remove the dogs from the location in Jefferson County, we initially planned to house 100 dogs,” said Liz Harrison with the LCHS. “We ended up with 161. The decision to move the dogs was made by LCHS staff and staff of the Humane Society of the United States in conjunction with the Jefferson County attorney’s office. The new location is larger, more secure, and has more amenities that are needed to care for that many dogs.”

     Johnson said the move was made for several reasons. “It turns out there are a lot of smart dogs that are climbing out of their pens and trying to escape,” he said. Though none of the dogs actually left the grounds of the LCHS, security was a concern, he said. There were also “suspicious vehicles” seen near the LCHS late at night, he said, raising concerns further.

     The animals were moved to a “secure warehouse” which the county rented, said Johnson. The county paid a $9000 deposit on the warehouse rental, he said.

     “The safety and comfort of these dogs is of paramount importance as the criminal case continues,” said Johnson. “They are in a secure location and continuing to receive the excellent care that the Lewis & Clark Humane Society staff has been providing since day one of the rescue.”

     Commissioner Kirsch suggested the county should be assured the donations made on behalf of the animals is applied against the county expenses and debt to the LCHS.

     “I read in the paper there’s quite a large amount of donations that have come in,” he said.

     The LCHS has said donations have come in from around the world and has announced an effort to raise money through dog biscuit sales.

     Kirsch also asked about the prospect of selling the dogs to cover costs. “These dogs are quite valuable and if they at some point become a ward of the county, will we have the option to sell them?” he asked.

     Johnson said some of the dogs may have a high value and the judge in the case could order those dogs be sold to benefit Jefferson County. But such an order would require the hiring of an expert to evaluate the dogs and could complicate existing claims by some that they already own the dogs, he said.

     “I would guess the Humane Society position would be that these dogs should go up for adoption,” said Commissioner Tom Lythgoe.

     Sheriff Doolittle said the Humane Society ought to have some assurance “this is Jefferson County’s case and we’re going to take care of it” as a show of appreciation.

     Lythgoe volunteered to write a letter to the Humane Society thanking them for their support, assuring them that Jefferson County will cover the necessary costs, and stating the county will make a donation in appreciation at some point.