Oct 21, 2014 1 min read

A North Franklin Township woman has changed her mind about pleading guilty last week to a citation for animal cruelty in a case involving her having owned as many as 32 dogs without a state kennel license.

Marcia Hupp, 59, of 14 Zelt St., on Tuesday appealed her guilty plea in the citation to Washington County Court, which scheduled a hearing on the matter at 4 p.m. Dec. 22 before Judge John Disalle, court records indicate.

Hupp faced nearly 60 citations filed by a humane officer, which led to an agreement before District Judge Ethan Ward last month whereby she pleaded guilty to one charge each of animal cruelty, failure to obtain a state license to operate a kennel and failure to have proof all of her dogs had rabies vaccinations. The remaining citations were withdrawn under that agreement.

Hupp runs a volunteer animal rescue group. She also has a month to reduce the number of dogs she owns to four to avoid a separate citation filed by the township alleging she violated the local ordinance regulating the number of dogs residents can keep on their property.