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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (KMOT) – Two people face a series of animal cruelty charges, after “several” dogs in their Minot-area residence were found malnourished, and two were found dead on arrival.
State prosecutors charged 21-year-old Jim Diaz and 19-year-old Katelynn Mercier with five counts each of C-felony animal cruelty, according to online court records.
Ward County deputies responded to a residence on Minot Air Force Base on May 26 to investigate a report of animal neglect from law enforcement on base. Deputies found the residence in disarray, with “garbage and dried animal urine and feces all around the home,” according to a report from the sheriff’s office.
After consulting with a licensed veterinarian, the sheriff’s office obtained warrants for Diaz and Bercier Friday, and arrested and booked them in the Ward County Detention Center.
The surviving dogs were voluntarily surrendered, and were transported to the Souris Valley Animal Shelter for care.
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