Toddler's arm was ripped off by 'wolf dog' at Grandma's animal sanctuary.
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
The Agency reported in a statement that the authorities had taken several animals — including three coyotes, two fawns, 47 wolf-dogs and six red foxes — while carrying out a search warrant at the Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary in Muskegon. The owner of the facility, Brenda Pearson, told The Detroit News that she had a shelter licence under the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and was waiting for the DNR to respond to the request for a wildlife rehabilitation permit.
“We only found out today we’re not licensed for wildlife (rehabilitation),” Pearson told the outlet Friday, noting that Howling Timbers has housed wolf-dogs for 27 years.
In July, a wolf-dog allegedly cut off Pearson's 2-year-old granddaughter's arm after putting her arm in a cage. DNR said the volunteer Howling Timbers was trying to free the toddler's arm during the attack.
An confidential source approached the authorities about the alleged incident in August, which prompted officials to secure a search warrant last week.
DNR noted that wolf-dogs are a non-native species, and it is illegal to raise them in Michigan without proper authorisation. Pearson said on Facebook that she's never had wolf-dogs, but it's not rare for wolf-dogs to be pregnant when they're brought to her.
Pearson reportedly confirmed to the authorities in September that she had no permits. However, she is now saying that DNR had inspected her facility in July, shortly before the attack, and did not mention any licence issues.
“She’s been applying for licenses with different departments but doesn’t follow through with the inspection process – she’s failed to complete all of her applications. An application is not a permit,” Conservation Officer Anna Cullen said.
The Agency noted that it had released a search warrant at Pearson 's facility in 2008, which resulted in officials revoking its wildlife rehabilitation permit in 2010.
Pearson is known to have a history of criminal charges — including failure to alert authorities to the escaped bear and to keep animals in unsanitary conditions. It is not clear if she will face criminal charges in the light of the incident.