A Butte woman who was set for trial next week for allegedly abandoning four dogs and several cats without food or water for days is once again wanted on bench warrants.
In another case, a Butte man accused of striking a dog with a meat claw and then threatening a man with it outside of Sparky’s Garage has pleaded not guilty to assault and animal cruelty charges.
Lasell
Veronia Lasell, 46, had previously delayed court proceedings for more than a year after she skipped her arraignment on nine counts of animal cruelty — eight of them felonies — filed in November 2022.
A bench warrant was issued but Lasell wasn’t arrested until Dec. 24, 2023. She pleaded not guilty to the animal cruelty charges and was released a week later after posting a $10,000 bond.
But when she recently skipped a trial in a case before Butte City Court, more bench warrants were issued and because she remains at large, District Court Judge Robert Whelan postponed her July 22 until she is detained.
People are also reading…
City Court Judge Jerome McCarthy said Friday that the trial in his court involves traffic charges of being a habitual offender and driving while suspended.
Prosecutors say Lasell abandoned the dogs and cats in and around a Butte home that was covered in so much filth and animal waste “there wasn’t a livable or clean area in it.”
The charges say the dogs were left “unattended for days locked in a house without food or water in their own waste and filth,” and they destroyed the house in the process. At least five cats were left outside for days without food or water in the middle of winter.
As it turned out, the neglected dogs were vicious and attacked people, and they were ultimately seized and euthanized, authorities said.
Veronica Lasell is pictured here with an attorney in January during her arraignment on nine counts of animal cruelty. She was set for trial on July 22, 2024 but it was postponed because she recently skipped a separate court hearing and is wanted on bench warrants.
If convicted on all counts, Lasell faces up to 17 years in prison and fines up to $21,000. If arrested on the warrants, she cannot be released without first appearing before Whelan.
On Wednesday, 63-year-old Philip Mark Drew pleaded not guilty to charges tied to an incident in the parking lot of Sparky’s about noon on June 3. He faces a felony count of assault with a weapon and a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.
According to police and prosecutors, three dogs in the bed of a parked pickup started barking at Drew as he walked by. Witnesses said the dogs were only barking, not being aggressive.
Witnesses said Drew pulled out a Bear Paw and started swinging it at the dogs, striking one. Bear Paw is brand of hand-held meat shredders with six sharp tines, often used to shred pork or other meat while it is still hot. He was apparently carrying it in a backpack.
A man and his wife yelled at Drew to stop and he threatened them with the meat claw. One witness went inside Sparky’s and yelled, asking who owned the white pickup with dogs.
The owner came out, yelled at Drew and he dropped the meat claw. Police arrived and after taking Drew to the hospital to have a bite looked at, he was booked into jail.
The dog was cut on the face but was not seriously injured, police say. Drew is free under certain release conditions pending more court proceedings.
Mike Smith is a reporter at the Montana Standard with an emphasis on government and politics.