Mother, daughter charged after dogs are found in ‘deplorable’ conditions
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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls woman convicted of allowing two dogs to starve to death in 2015 has allegedly committed similar crimes again. Her daughter is also facing charges
Jeanette Diane Covert, 37, is charged with three counts of animal cruelty, one count of operating a kennel without a license, one count of failure to obtain or maintain rabies vaccination and a dog license violation.
According to court documents, “On June 3, animal control officers with the Idaho Falls Police department served a search warrant at Covert’s house on the 1000 block of Lovejoy Street. Animal control received a call from an informant claiming to have seen several dogs inside Covert’s home living in ‘deplorable conditions with no food or water.'”
The informant told the officer that in 2015, he pulled two badly decomposed dogs out of Covert’s house.
Covert was charged with allowing animals to go without care. Judge Stephen J. Clark placed Covert on two years of unsupervised probation. As part of probation, she was unable to own dogs for two years. Her probation ended in January 2018.
“He (the informant) told me Jeanette said that the probation was ‘bull****’ and she could own dogs,” according to court documents.
Earlier this month, animal control officers showed up to Covert’s home with a warrant and found her 19-year-old daughter, Amber Fox, holding a white Chihuahua named Jose. Jose was put into the animal control truck.
Officers entered the home where “the smell of urine and feces was horrific,” according to their report. Officers found some dog food and little to no water accessible to the animals.
A Rottweiler mix named Sparta, a black Lab mix named Remy and a Shepherd mix named Hades were inside the house.
“Remy and Hades smelled horribly of feces and Hades actually had feces caked into his paws and back legs,” according to court documents. “There were feces and urine all over the floor…and absolutely no food or water for these dogs.”
Officers asked Fox where a dog was buried in the backyard to which she said “which one,” according to court documents. Officers located a recently dug grave where a small black dog was located with a collar still around its neck.
According to court documents, a man came to the house and told officers the puppy died after eating drywall. He said the puppy threw up and acted sick before the death.
The animal control officers took the dogs to a veterinarian for exams. Doctors pointed out one of the dogs had a tense stomach from lack of food, according to court documents.
Officers cited Fox with animal cruelty, a dog license violation and failure to obtain or maintain a rabies vaccination.
Both Fox and Covert pleaded not guilty at their arraignment on Wednesday. Both defendants have pretrial conferences scheduled for July 11.