Puppy mill appeal denied

Updated 4:13 p.m

Junior Horton loses his appeal of animal cruelty and neglect charges.

A Carroll County appeals judge upheld the district court’s decision from May, when Horton was convicted on 14 counts of animal cruelty and 25 counts of neglect.

Horton must pay more than $3,500 in fines and restitution, but will not serve any jail time.

He will be allows to operate Horton’s Pups with 250 dogs for five months more.

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Original story 2:24 p.m.

Junior Horton is back in a Carroll County courtroom, appealing his conviction on animal cruelty and neglect charges in connection with one of the largest dog rescues in American history.

Back in May, a judge convicted Horton, the owner of Horton’s pups, on 14 counts of animal cruelty and 25 counts of neglect.  The conviction followed an undercover investigation by the Humane Society that found hundreds of puppies and dogs living in unhealthy conditions.  They put the video of their investigation on the internet.

Carroll County animal control officers and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office then followed up, and charged Horton.  They also raided his business in November of 2007, and removed hundreds of dogs and puppies.  The Humane Society helped find those dogs homes in other areas of the country.  The Humane Society called it the largest rescue operation that they had ever done, at the time.

10 On Your Side’s Mollie Halpern is in the courtroom.  She’ll bring you an update on WSLS starting at 5:00 p.m.