Animal cruelty charges filed against previous Pasco shelter managers
By Terry Murry on Monday, October 2nd, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PASCO — The Washington State Attorney General’s Office announced Friday it has filed a total of 48 criminal charges of animal cruelty against two individuals and their organization, Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation, which previously managed the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter in Pasco.
The charges, which include six felonies and 42 gross misdemeanors, allege that former Neo’s Nation director Rebecca Howard, 46, of Kennewick, and office manager Justin Hernandez, 36, of Pasco, committed animal cruelty while they managed the Pasco shelter in 2021. The Attorney General’s Office also filed charges against Neo’s Nation, a Washington nonprofit professional service corporation that received the contract to run the Pasco shelter.
The criminal charges stem from events occurring after Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation took over management of the shelter, which Tri-Cities taxpayers pay for, in January 2021. Howard was the director of Neo’s Nation and had previously worked at the shelter for more than a decade. Hernandez served on the Neo’s Nation board of directors and worked directly for Howard.
By the summer of 2021, shelter employees spoke with outside animal clinics about abuse and neglect at the shelter. One employee removed a dog a few weeks after it arrived at the shelter because the animal’s health deteriorated quickly under the defendants’ care. The dog later died from kidney failure, which can happen to malnourished dogs.
On Nov. 11, 2021, police served a search warrant on the shelter and a veterinarian accompanied them. Police discovered malnourished dogs and crates of cats and kittens in a laundry room. Many of the animals were severely ill and had multiple infections. A detective learned from employees that only Howard and Hernandez made all medical decisions regarding the animals at the shelter.
Police also searched an outbuilding on the grounds, which employees said only Howard or Hernandez could access. Detectives described the outbuilding as infested with mice and in poor condition. Inside the outbuilding were crates of cats stacked on top of each other. Most of the cats had respiratory and eye infections, and some could not open their eyes due to the severity of the infections.
Howard, Hernandez and Neo’s Nation no longer manage the shelter. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each of the two felony charges of first-degree animal cruelty. Howard and Hernandez also face up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine for each of the 14 gross misdemeanor charges of second-degree animal cruelty. Additionally, Neo’s Nation faces a fine of up to $500,000 for each of the two felony charges and $250,000 for each of the 14 gross misdemeanors if convicted.
