ALTUS, Ark. — Six months after being accused of trespassing in an effort to save endangered dogs, three people with connections to the Artemis Project, an animal rights group, have been found not guilty.
On February 6, The Artemis Project made posts on Facebook calling attention to a situation they said involved a man demolishing a building on his property while knowing that a mother dog and her puppies were underneath. Activists said the mom was injured when part of the building fell on her during the demolition.
Three volunteers were arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office on charges of criminal trespassing.
Shortly after the incident, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) said in a statement that not only was the property owner taking good care of the puppies, but that their mother was actually hit by a car and not injured from the building being demolished on top of her, as the Artemis Project claimed.
On Friday, Aug. 6, a Franklin County District Judge found all three rescuers not guilty of criminal trespass.
“From the unlawful arrest and detention of certain defendants, to criminally charging people who saved lives, this prosecution has long been fraught with problems. Ultimately, these defendants should be praised, not punished,” said Steffen Seitz, Litigation Fellow with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, who represented the defendants.
In finding the defendants not guilty, the judge concluded they were charged with trespassing on unincorporated land, whereas the land was actually incorporated.
To read more about the controversial arrests and the reported animal mistreatment, check out our 5NEWS article covering the event here.
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