Animal neglect charges filed after 66 dogs seized
A Minneapolis woman who rented property near New Prague for an animal rescue operation was charged in Rice County District Court last week with seven counts of mistreatment of animals.
Elizabeth Rose Osterbauer, 24, had rented a rural farmhouse on New Prague Boulevard that was served with a search warrant on December 15, 2016, by Minneapolis Police.
Police found 66 dogs on the property, with no furniture in the farmhouse. The complaint says seven dogs were gated within the kitchen, with only two quilts and a small bath rug on the vinyl floor, an empty water dish and no food.
In another room, police located a plastic storage bin with holes cut into it and inside found two dogs. Also in the house was other evidence, including veterinary pharmaceuticals and a variety of paperwork for “Close to Home Canine Rescue,” along with some property from a burglary in Minneapolis in which Osterbauer was a suspect.
For more, see the March 9 print edition of The Times.
