ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Ottawa County woman is now facing criminal charges after nearly two dozen dogs were seized from her home in December.
Shayna Saing, 27, has been charged with felony animal abuse and three misdemeanor charges related to the operation of a kennel without a proper license.
She was arrested by Ottawa County deputies on Wednesday, and held briefly in jail.
Saing was released on a PR (personal recognizance) bond.
All of the dogs were seized from her Boyne Boulevard home on Dec. 4, 2023 after the county received a complaint about potential animal abuse going on.
The dogs were all “Pomskies” — a genetic mix of a Pomeranian and Husky.
At the time they were seized, the sheriff’s department said the dogs were living in “extremely poor” conditions.
They were all taken to the Harbor Humane Society in West Olive to be evaluated.
“We took in each one individually, were able to get pictures, get some vaccines in them, kind of assess their body score, guess their ages,” executive director of Harbor Humane, Jen Self-Aulgur, told FOX 17 back in December.
Self-Aulgur explained that Saing had been operating a breeding operation out of her home, eventually becoming overwhelmed with the number of dogs.
She says that part of the floor of the mobile home she was living in had fallen out from below, exposing the interior to the elements to some degree.
Staff at Harbor Humane mobilized after the dogs were seized.
“The thing that we noticed the most is, you know, lots of mats. I mean, they're Pomsky, so they have kind of a thicker coat,” Self-Aulgur said in December.
“Surprisingly, they were all well fed.”
Self-Aulgur said that Saing relinquished any rights to the dogs to the Harbor Humane Society, making the process of getting them medical care much easier.
“I hope this can be an important lesson for people who are thinking about breeding dogs. It can get out of control and out of hand very easily," says Self-Aulgur. "We also want to remind people that if you choose to purchase a dog from a breeder, it is important to see where they are being raised, who mom and dad are and how they are being cared for. Do the research!”
All 21 dogs have since been adopted.
READ MORE: Deputies: 21 dogs seized from 'extremely poor' conditions in Allendale Twp.
