Mar 18, 2009 6:10 pm US/Central
Puppy Breeder On Trial To Face Abuse Charges
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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An employee of "Pick of the Litter" took undercover video of alleged animal abuse at the breeder in New York Mills, Minn. in April and May 2008.
CBS
An animal abuse trial started on Wednesday -- a case where prosecutors say a Minnesota dog breeder tortured the pets she raised and sold.
The I-TEAM first uncovered disturbing video last fall. Investigators say it shows Kathy Bauck dipping a puppy in insecticide, but the allegations of abuse don't stop there.
The trial started at 9 a.m. in Fergus Falls where jurors first saw that undercover video.
Animal rights advocates, and even Bauck's own neighbors, sat in the courtroom stunned when they saw the undercover video of the animals.
Bauck runs a place called "Pick of the Litter" in rural New York Mills, Minn. and sells dogs on the Internet.
The Otter Tail County prosecutor contends that the animals were tortured and neglected at Bauck's breeding facility. The video shows dogs that allegedly sat in their own feces, others with sores or open wounds.
One of the animal rights advocates in the courtroom put her head down so she wouldn't have to watch. But jurors had to watch and listen to the testimony of the man who took the video in April and May 2008.
The 30-year-old man at one time worked for Bauck and he took the video with a camera hidden in a shirt button. He testified that an animal rights group paid him to take the job at "Pick of the Litter" and to take the video. That video led to a police investigation and six criminal charges against Bauck.
Upon entering the courthouse, Bauck wouldn't make any comments about the charges against her.
During the trial, her lawyer painted her as a kind, loving woman who had a personal relationship with each dog that she bred. Her lawyer said Bauck has been in the breeding business for more than 20 years and her facility is federally licensed.
Bauck said she feels "set up" by the animal rights group who hired the man to take the video. Bauck feels they are trying to put her out of business.
Bauck is expected to testify in the trial that could take a few weeks.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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