Maui woman pleads no contest to animal cruelty
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — A Maui woman charged with animal cruelty for keeping nearly 100 dogs and cats in her three-bedroom Ha'iku home pleaded no contest yesterday and will be sentenced July 22.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped 65 of the 85 charges against Marilyn Jean Bermudez, 59. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $2,000 fine, but Deputy Prosecutor Mark Simonds said he would not seek consecutive terms.
BERMUDEZ
Bermudez's attorney, David Sereno, emphasized to Wailuku District Judge Rhonda Loo that the charges involved failing to provide adequate food, ample space and clean living conditions for the 14 cats and 82 dogs.
Bermudez called animal-control officers to her West Lelehuna Place home Jan. 4 because the dogs were fighting and had gotten out of control. One dog was found dead. All but six dogs and one cat were euthanized because of poor health or lack of space at the Maui animal shelter.
Two dogs were adopted locally, and four were sent to a Utah animal sanctuary. The cat was nursed back to health by Maui Humane Society Animal Control Supervisor Aimee Anderson, who adopted it.
As a condition of her release, Bermudez is limited to owning three dogs and three cats that have been spayed or neutered. Animal control officers have been conducting weekly visits to her home to ensure compliance.
Anderson said after yesterday's court hearing that she is satisfied with the plea agreement.
Bermudez's husband, Timothy, is scheduled for trial April 25. Simonds said no plea agreement has been worked out in that case.
The dogs were kept in the 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom house. Most of the cats were confined inside kitchen cabinets that had been converted into cages. Anderson reported the home was filled with feces and other filth, and that many of the animals were malnourished and sick.
Bermudez has denied the conditions were as dire as Anderson described, but acknowledged it was a mistake to let the dogs continue breeding. She said she only intended to provide a loving home for the animals.
Neighbors complained about the noise and smell, but police and Humane Society officials said they were denied permission to enter the property. Since the dogs were kept indoors, there was no visible evidence that justified obtaining a search warrant.
