Cruelty charges filed against owner of shelter where 145 animals were rescued

Charges were filed in court Friday against the owner of a "no-kill" animal shelter where more than 100 animals were confiscated in 2016.

Mary Kay Nelson, founder of Noah's Friends Animal Sanctuary in Orange Cove, was charged with six counts of animal cruelty. In 2016, officers with the Central California SPCA served a search warrant at the animal sanctuary and found dogs suffering from diseases and parasites, the CCSPCA said in a news release Friday.

Acting on a tip from the public, the CCSPCA confiscated three cats and 142 dogs from the shelter in 2016, according to the animal agency. The CCSPCA said a majority of the dogs tested positive for tick-borne diseases and internal parasites, like tapeworms. Some dogs were euthanized.

In a criminal complaint filed by the Fresno County District Attorney, where the names of dozens of dogs are listed, Nelson is accused of willful and unlawful torture to the animals. The DA did not provide further comment on the case.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 4:31 PM.