Apr 26, 2018 3 min read

One of the founders of a Washington area pet rescue organization entered a plea of not guilty Wednesday to 13 citations filed against her earlier this month by the state dog warden for alleged violations at a kennel at her home where some rescued animals were kept.

Sherry Knight of Pointview Drive, Canton Township, who is one of the founders of Pet Search, received 11 citations for allegedly failing to keep the kennel in sanitary and humane condition after a March 5 inspection by the state dog warden. She also received one citation for failure to keep proper kennel records and one for failure to have a health certificate for importation. She faces $7,023 in fines.

Founded in 1987 as People for Animal Welfare, Pet Search is an all-volunteer nonprofit animal rescue and placement service that rescues, cares for and places homeless and unwanted domestic animals.

Knight allegedly failed to have indoor and outdoor housing facilities for the dogs maintained in a manner to protect them from injury. The kennel reportedly failed to have interior surfaces in animal housing areas that are water-resistant and can be readily sanitized.

The dog warden also issued citations for failure to provide a primary enclosure to allow a dog to turn around, stand, sit and lie down; failure to provide minimum space; failure to provide adequate access to shelter during inclement weather, and failure to provide clean bedding material.

The dog warden also found violations for reportedly failing to remove feces from the primary enclosure and failing to sanitize it at least once a day or more often as needed. Knight is also cited with failure to provide sufficient ventilation when dogs are present.

Knight also was cited for failure to provide proof of health certificates for dogs imported from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and failure to have complete records for dogs kept at the kennel.

In a Facebook direct message, Knight said in “25 years we never had a unsatisfactory kennel inspection.” She noted in a Feb. 22 inspection, all categories were satisfactory. A kennel inspection report for Feb. 22 posted on the state Department of Agriculture website validates her claim, indicating the kennel was in compliance.

“On March 5, we were unsatisfactory,” Knight wrote. “We have had six state dog wardens in our home throughout those years with not one issue/concern.”

The kennel inspection report for March 5 was not yet available on the state website. Officials from the state Department of Agriculture, which oversees dog wardens, did not return calls seeking further explanation about the charges.

Knight is scheduled for a summary trial on the citations June 20 before District Judge David Mark.