Men Denied Custody in Animal Cruelty Case

HOLLY LAKE RANCH � Two Holly Lake Ranch men accused of animal cruelty will not get to keep their pets after a Thursday morning custody hearing. That’s according to KETK. Last week, Johnny Munoz and Jared Williams were arrested on animal cruelty charges. Prior to to that arrest, their pit bull, Mary Jane, was killed by one of the deputies who said it was “too aggressive.” 10 more dogs were seized by Wood County, including three-week-old puppies. Since then, four of the puppies have died. The body of one puppy was sent off for an autopsy.

Munoz and Williams have the right to file an appeal within 10 days for another custody hearing, and with that appeal, they would be required to pay around $2,400. Williams says he and Munoz were unaware Thursday’s hearing was for the custody of the pets. “We didn’t know what kind of hearing this was going to be,” said Williams. “We showed up with no lawyer, no witnesses, and the county has around 30 people on their side. The vet testified on a scale of one to nine, with one being emaciated and nine being overly obese, our dog was rated a four and perfect dogs are around a five.” Another hearing concerning their case is scheduled for January 24.