Oakland County authorities: Rescue owner facing charges in animal cruelty investigation

An Oakland County woman is facing criminal charges after authorities removed just over three dozen animals from her Pontiac home in September during an investigation for animal cruelty and an unregistered shelter operation.

Karmen Schooly was charged with failure to provide adequate care to 25 or more animals, a felony, and operating an unregistered animal shelter, a misdemeanor, Oakland County officials announced in a release Wednesday.

Schooly also is facing charges in Macomb County, where six dogs were in legal limbo and in the care of Macomb County Animal Control for nearly a year. The puppies initially came from Schooly's TriCounty Dog Rescue in Pontiac and eventually were adopted this year.

In the recent Oakland County case, 29 dogs and eight cats were removed from her Argyle Street residence Sept. 27. One cat was euthanized. The remaining animals were under the care of the Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center, but are not available for adoption because of the pending court matter.

Oakland County animal control officers found the animals living in "abusive and neglectful conditions," according to the release.

"Housing dozens of animals that you can't take care of is not a 'rescue,' and neglecting or abusing animals is a crime," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated, adding the conditions the animals were living in were "deplorable."

In an email Wednesday to the Free Press, Schooly stated all the dogs were in good condition, adding: "I go out of my way to care for them."

"They seized my registered service dog and emotional support animals. They are holding the rescue dogs and not putting them up for adoption when release papers were signed on majority of them. How is that fair for the dogs?" she stated in the email. "I have no control over them not getting adopted. Just like Oakland (C)ounty (A)nimal (C)ontrol has dogs that have been there 1-2 years. If their adoption rate is low they should understand that mine would be low too."

Schooly told the Free Press in September that the removal was "totally unexpected," adding that she recorded it and would be getting an attorney involved.

Oakland County Shelter Manager Bob Gatt stated in the release that the conditions the animals were found in "are unacceptable, and we are doing everything we can to support their recovery and secure a safe future for them."

Schooly was to be arraigned in 50th District Court in Pontiac. No court case or hearing date was listed Wednesday in online district court records.

If convicted of the felony, per the release, Schooly could face up to seven years in prison, $10,000 in fines, a minimum of five years of probation, and up to 500 hours of community service, as well as additional penalties such as a psychiatric evaluation, reimbursement of costs associated with animal care and a prohibition on future animal ownership, according to the release. It states the misdemeanor carries a possible penalty of up to 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Schooly previously came under fire in Macomb County, where six pups spent a year with animal control. The dogs − Danica, Dash, Dodge, Daytona, Diesel and Dale − celebrated their first birthdays in January in the animal shelter in Clinton Township.

They were put for adoption in March. The dogs, Australian cattle dog mixes, came to animal control in March 2023, when they were 10 weeks old and Macomb County Chief Animal Control Officer Jeff Randazzo said they were sick with parvo , a highly contagious disease. He said the puppies were surrendered by a foster person in Macomb County after they became sick and the rescue wouldn't take them back.

A civil forfeiture action was filed against Schooly of the rescue, which Randazzo said brought the puppies to Michigan. He previously said the foster person received the puppies directly from a truck that brought the puppies in from out of state.

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A district court judge in New Baltimore determined in January the puppies were abandoned, and Schooly had until noon Jan. 31 to pay $70,255 or the dogs would be forfeited. She did not pay, per the court and Randazzo. Randazzo said animal control had spent more than $60,000 to care for the six dogs. Schooly appealed in Macomb County Circuit Court, but it was dismissed.

Schooly also has a criminal case in Macomb County, where she is charged with health profession-unauthorized practice and abandoning/cruelty to four to 10 animals, both felonies, and unregistered animal shelters/pounds, a misdemeanor. A circuit judge denied her motion to quash and dismiss in October, and a pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 21, according to her attorney in that case and online court records.

Schooly previously told the Free Press the six pups were healthy when the foster brought them to animal control, but "weren't getting adopted quick enough." She called the charges in Macomb County "ridiculous."

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