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Woman gets probation for dog incident
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A woman accused of animal cruelty and forced to surrender her 124 dogs has been placed on probation after entering a best-interest plea to the charges against her.The woman, Wilma Jones, 73, has entered a best-interest plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to five counts of animal cruelty and was given five consecutive 11-month, 29-day probationary sentences for an effective sentencing time of five years. However, she may come off probation in two years if her probationary requirements are satisfied.Those requirements include that she destroy all outbuildings on her property that were used to house animals, that she not possess more than four dogs or cats and no more than one horse, and that she not possess any veterinary medicine.Jones was arrested early in 2011 when officers, with the assistance of an animal rights organization, raided her Centertown-area farm and confiscated 124 dogs. Undercover agents who had previously gone to the farm maintained the animals were not well cared for and there were dead animals on the farm.The animals were collected and sent for housing and re-adoption through the animal rights organization.