Man convicted in animal cruelty case back in Ark.
Wife was arrested in Vt. after 3 years on the run
Toolbox
The Associated Press - Published: November 20, 2009
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — A man who was convicted of 20 animal cruelty counts and fled Arkansas before his sentencing has been returned to the state.
The Baxter County Sheriff's Office said William Henry Hanson, 45, was booked in the county jail on Nov. 13. Hanson and his wife, Tammy Hanson, eluded authorities for more than three years after they were convicted in January 2006 of animal cruelty.
Tammy Hanson, who was arrested in Vermont, was sentenced earlier this month to one year in jail and ordered to pay more than $15,000 in fines, court costs and restitution.
At her sentencing, she testified that she and her husband had operated the Every Dog Needs a Home sanctuary since 2003, but the compound was "overwhelmed" by all the animals brought in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.
"Animals kept coming, in horse trailers and pickups being unloaded at our gate, three days before my arrest," she said.
William Hanson was brought back to Arkansas after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed a warrant for the extradition. Hanson was arrested in late September near Holden, Mo., and had resisted his extradition since then. It wasn't clear Sunday if Hanson had an attorney.
On Oct. 21, 2005, authorities found between 400 and 500 dogs at the Hansons' rural two-acre lot, including 61 pit bulls sent to the Hansons from an animal rescue group working after Hurricane Katrina.
Sheriff's deputies found one dog dead, another with a broken leg and many sickly dogs. Prosecutors said the counts included 20 animals found suffering from maggot infestations to severe skin conditions.
The sheriff's office said that at the time, it was one of the largest animal cruelty cases in the United States. Since then, Arkansas lawmakers have enacted a felony animal cruelty law after being one of a handful of states that only had misdemeanor penalties.
Tammy Hanson said she felt remorse and regrets how the animals suffered.
"I have to live with it every day," she said.
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