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IRON MOUNTAIN -- A Hardwood woman accused of dumping animal carcasses near her unlicensed animal shelter avoided trial in Dickinson County District Court this week by accepting a plea deal with prosecutors Friday.
Dianne Marie Lund-Johnson, 54, will be sentenced April 12 after pleading guilty to kennel facility violations, a three-month misdemeanor, and animals-burial, a 90-day misdemeanor, according to the Dickinson County Prosecutor's Office.
In exchange for the pleas, prosecutors dismissed a third misdemeanor charge of abandoning or cruelty to two or three animals and will recommend a maximum 30-day jail sentence and one year of probation.
Pursuant to the deal, Lund-Johnson will be able to keep the animals she now has -- previously cited to be five alpacas, two ponies, two horses, four cats, four dogs, one bird and 45 chickens -- but will be prohibited from acquiring any more during her probation term.
She must provide adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care for all of her animals and submit to inspections by animal control or other law enforcement officers.
Dickinson County District Court Judge Julie LaCost will make the final decision on jail time and probation terms at the sentencing hearing.
Former District Court Judge Christopher Ninomiya in October had rejected a similar plea agreement because he thought it was inappropriate for Lund-Johnson to care for any animals while on probation.
This prompted Lund-Johnson to take the case to trial.
But Ninomiya in January amended Lund-Johnson's bond to allow her to keep a certain number of animals, based in part on her assertion she would continue to allow regular and random checks by the animal control officer.
Dickinson County deputies and the animal control officer on April 10, 2017, went to Ride Outs Road between Foster City and Hardwood after animal carcasses were reported in a roadside ditch, according to the criminal complaint.
They found the remains of several dogs that had been euthanized by a veterinarian, along with a dead alpaca and chickens, sheriff's officials said.
Deputies found the carcasses had come from a nearby residence where Lund-Johnson operated an animal rescue shelter called Noah's Nordic Ark.
Lund-Johnson said the animals had died during the winter, so she placed their remains in an area where her other dogs wouldn't disturb them until she could properly bury them in the spring.
Deputies also determined Lund-Johnson was in violation of a county ordinance prohibiting residents from having more than four dogs unless they have a kennel license. She had nine dogs, and had not renewed her kennel license since 2014, the criminal complaint stated.
Sheriff's officials said they took five of the dogs, which Lund-Johnson voluntarily gave up, to Almost Home Animal Shelter in Quinnesec later that week.
At least three of the dogs had been housed in kennels that either were too small or in dark locations with little human interaction, according to the complaint.