Alleged puppy mill operators John David Matthews and Latitia Adele Matthews were in Lamar County magistrate court Friday where bonds were set on 106 counts including aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals and improper disposal of dead swine. ******************** NOTICE: This story and photo(s) are under copyright. They may not be republished or disseminated in any form or format – including social media – without explicit permission. ********************* The pair are each charged with 43 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, three felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and seven counts of improper disposal of dead pigs. The felony cruelty counts allege they willingly, knowingly and maliciously” caused the deaths of a two puppies and the serious disfigurement of a third. Bond was set at $86,500 each by chief magistrate Karen R. Jackson. If they make bond, they may not have any animals and they must bury any additional dead animals on the property that they find. Acting district attorney Elizabeth Bobbitt noted there remain feral pigs and feral cats on the property. The defendants were instructed to attempt to catch the animals and call Lt. Chad Payne of the LCSO if they are successful in order that the animals can be removed and they will not be in violation of the conditions of their bonds. ”The only food we found on the property was a small bag of cat food so I anticipate they could catch the cats,” Bobbitt concluded.
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