Joplin man sentenced in death of 8 puppies
Nov. 26—A Joplin man was sentenced Tuesday to 74 days in jail and was fined $500 in the deaths of eight puppies left in a closed plastic tote outside the Joplin Humane Society.
Seth Vaile, 30, 2108 Harlem Ave., pleaded guilty to eight counts of misdemeanor animal abuse in Jasper County Associate Circuit Court. Judge John A. Nicholas imposed the jail sentence and the fine plus $146.50 in court costs.
Vaile pleaded guilty to eight misdemeanor counts of animal abuse for the death of the dogs Sept. 8.
A second man was listed initially as a person of interest in the case, although online court records do not show charges filed against anyone other than Vaile.
At the time of the discovery, Connie Andrews, director of the Joplin Humane Society, posted on the Humane Society's social media page that what happened was "not okay."
"I don't often comment on pets being left outside the shelter as I'm glad they at least chose to leave them where they will be found and cared for," Andrews posted. "But to the person that left these eight puppies in a closed tote outside the shelter in a place that is not easily seen, we found them but all 8 have died. Why did you not leave them by the door where they could be found? We are all heartbroken at these senseless deaths!"
