Dog breeder is charged
with cruelty to animals

A humane society official
calls it a "clear-cut case"

CORRECTION Tuesday, January 18, 2005 » Jacque Smith is spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Humane Society. A story in Friday's early edition incorrectly referred to her as spokesman. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.

A Hawaii Kai woman who was housing 27 dogs and two cats in what Hawaiian Humane Society officials described as squalid conditions faces criminal charges.

Lucy Kagan: The dog breeder has accused the humane society of harassment

Dog breeder Lucy Kagan was served Wednesday with penal summons charging her with 25 counts of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor, prosecutors confirmed.

The charges stemmed from an investigation that began more than 1 1/2 years ago after firefighters and police responding to a report of a kitchen fire at Kagan's Hawaii Kai townhouse in May 2003 discovered the animals in kennels, surrounded by trash and feces.

A Hawaiian Humane Society investigator at the time described the kennels as "filled with feces, urine and infested with insects, including cockroaches, flies, spiders and other pests."

Humane Society spokesman Jacque Smith said the organization is satisfied that charges were brought against Kagan in what they feel is a very "clear-cut case of animal cruelty."

Kagan and her attorney could not be reached for comment.

Kagan has denied mistreating the animals and said she took good care of them. She said she normally did not keep that many dogs at her townhouse.

The animals were brought to the Hawaiian Humane Society where they began receiving thousands of dollars in veterinary care. One of the dogs -- a miniature Pinscher puppy -- later died.

Fourteen of the dogs were subsequently returned to Kagan but only after she agreed to provide the animals with adequate care, have them licensed and house them somewhere other than the Hawaii Kai townhouse. Humane society investigators were to inspect the new home to ensure the animals were being taken care of.

The Hawaiian Humane Society took her to court several times when she could not account for the animals that were returned to her. She accused them of harassing her, contending she had done nothing wrong.