A Muldrow woman and an Arkansas woman were reportedly arrested just after 4 p.m. last Tuesday for trying to rescue an injured female dog and it’s puppies in Franklin County, Ark., according to a Facebook post by The Arkansas Justice Project.
Mary Scott-McKinney, 29, of Muldrow, and Connie McMillan, 73, of Ozark, were arrested in Altus on a criminal misdemeanor charge of trespassing on the property where the puppies were, after the animals’ dire situation was reported by a neighbor.
Reports state the mother dog had been rescued but the nursing puppies were still underneath a home that was scheduled to be torn down.
The Arkansas Justice Project reported both women were being held without bond, but were released from jail at around 9:14 a.m. on Wednesday.
Supporters of McKinney and McMillan voiced their support for the two on social media.
McKinney, a local animal advocate, serves as medical director for The Artemis Project, a non-profit that rescues animals that have been abandoned.
“We found the dog first, whose back legs appeared to be paralyzed. She had supposedly been crushed by the roof during the demo. When we found her, she had been dragged out to a field and left with a bag of dog food beside her. So someone had obviously seen her, moved her and then left the food beside her.
“I’d crawled under the house and retrieved one of the puppies, the other four were a little harder to grab. Once we got the puppy out of there, that’s when the property owner showed up,” McKinney told KHBS 40/29 News.
“This is devastating. They arrested two ladies trying to save some puppies. Mary is an avid rescuer and neither of them deserve this. We need better laws to protect animals,” Candace Presley-Cauthon of Vian, said.
McMillan, who volunteers for the Charleston Animal Shelter in Arkansas, told the news station, “Well, I thought it was a little overkill but I did and then I just wanted to come home today and see my dogs at home, and make sure that these four puppies were cared for.”
“Sending positive thoughts and good vibes to our very own Connie McMillan tonight. She took a stand on behalf of some innocent puppies earlier this evening and is now paying the price with an evening in the Franklin County Detention Center.
“We, here, at the Charleston Dog Shelter try to avoid drama and work to stay above the fray, but tonight, we stand in unwavering solidarity with our fellow volunteer, Connie. She is a true walkthe- walk voice for those without one…and our hero,” the Charleston Dog Shelter posted to their Facebook page.
Franklin County Sheriff Johnny Crocker said he believes the women had good intentions, but “went about it the wrong way.”
He told KHBS 40/29 News the duo were warned multiple times to keep off the property, and after the fourth warning, they were told not to go back on the property or they’d be taken to jail for trespassing.
The Sheriff claimed the animals were stray and the property owner had covered the sides of it with dirt to prevent other animals from getting underneath it. The property owner reportedly took the puppies to a veterinarian the next morning and is hoping they’ll be going to new families within the week.
