Lang
6/11/24
A Riverside dog breeder charged with 41 counts of animal neglect won’t spend any more time behind bars.
63-year-old Loren Yoder, who runs Sunset Valley Farm on 540th Street, agreed on Monday to plead guilty to five charges of Animal Neglect With Injury. As part of the plea deal, he will be given one year of probation.
During a Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship inspection of the operation last summer, a large number of dogs was discovered to be neglected. Yoder surrendered all of his 131 dogs to the care of Iowa City Animal Services. Thorough physical exams conducted by assisting veterinarians determined many dogs had developed conditions caused by failure to adequately care for the animals. Eight of the dogs had to be euthanized due to health issues.
As part of Monday’s plea deal, Yoder will no longer be allowed to possess a breeder’s license in the state of Iowa.