Sherrard woman, charged with animal cruelty, arrested again for communicating with witness

Samuel Lisec, Galesburg Register-Mail
·2 min read
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GALESBURG — The Sherrard woman who was arrested last month on three counts of animal abuse after 198 dogs were found on her property was arrested again on Thursday for unlawful communication with a witness, media have reported.

Karen Plambeck, 59, was charged three counts of aggravated animal cruelty on Aug. 12 after 198 collies were found on her property in rural Sherrard. Plambeck posted bond and but law enforcement arrested her again on Sept. 1 for allegedly contacting the owner of one of the dogs involved in the animal cruelty case.

Plambeck is currently being held in the Mercer County Jail on a $35,000 bond. A hearing on the charge of unlawful communication is set for Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 9 a.m. in the Mercer County courthouse.

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A Mercer County judge was already scheduled Sept. 6 to consider a petition that the state filed Aug. 16 for Plambeck to lose custody of the almost 200 dogs found on her property, as Plambeck had moved to contest the petition.

Mercer County court documents show this is not the first time Plambeck has been charged with animal cruelty.

Plambeck was charged with violating the Humane Care for Animals Act over the treatment of horses on her property in 2019 but pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to 24 months of probation and required to pay a $300 fine in June 2022.

Mercer County court documents show the animal welfare complaint that instigated the Aug. 12 search of Plambeck’s property was lodged by Lauren Strickland of Watervliet, Michigan.

Court documents show Strickland sold at least four collies to an individual in South Carolina and the collies were to be transported by Plambeck. But after the collies never made it to the intended owner, Strickland was concerned about their welfare.

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Sherrard woman arrested for unlawful communication with witness