A Libby woman convicted of animal abuse earlier this year was given a suspended sentence and will have to pay more than $67,000 in restitution.
Cathie Iris Warren appeared in Lincoln County District Court on June 6 for sentencing on five counts of felony animal cruelty, three counts of felony aggravated animal cruelty and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty. Warren was sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections for each felony with all time suspended and a six-month suspended sentence to the county jail for the misdemeanor. She received 33 days credit for time previously served.
Warren will have to reimburse the county $67,432.42 to cover the costs of rescuing and caring for the animals that were seized from her home. She will also not be able to have any animals for the duration of her 16-year suspended sentence.
Last August, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Animal Care and Control and the Humane Society of the United States seized 53 dogs, 60 parakeets, six donkeys and three canaries from Warren’s home in Libby. According to court documents, the animals were in poor health and more than 40 of the dogs had ear infections.