From The K-B-L-G News Center...

A BALLANTINE DOG BREEDER GOT A STIFF SENTENCE, BUT NO JAIL TIME, YESTERDAY. 

LINDA KAPSA WAS GIVEN A 20-YEARS SUSPENDED SENTENCE BY BILLINGS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SUSAN WATTERS.  KAPSA ALSO MUST PAY 200-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IN RESTITUTION TO YELLOWSTONE COUNTY FOR THE COST OF BOARDING THE DOGS THAT WERE SEIZED FROM HER DOG-BREEDING OPERATION LAST DECEMBER.  SHE WILL HAVE TO PAY 50-DOLLARS PER MONTH FOR THE NEXT 20-YEARS TO COVER THAT. 

AND. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, KAPSA WAS GIVEN ONLY THREE SPAYED OR NEUTERED ENGLISH SHEPHERDS TO TAKE BACK TO HER PROPERTY.  THAT WAS FAR FEWER THAN THE 20 UNALTERED DOGS THAT KAPSA HAD REQUESTED, AND EVEN LESS THAN THE SIX THAT PROSECUTORS HAD RECOMMENDED. 

THE CASE BEGAN BACK IN DECEMBER, WHEN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES AND OTHERS RAIDED SHADY LANE KENNELS AND FOUND 189 LIVE ENGLISH SHEPHERDS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DISTRESS, INCLUDING MALNOURISHMENT, OPEN SORES, LACK OF WATER, AND BEING OUTSIDE IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES.  THEY ALSO SEIZED 11 DEAD DOGS. 

THE DOGS WERE CARED FOR AT METRAPARK AND A VETERINARY CLINIC, AND ADOPTIONS HAVE STARTED.