Woman Charged After Numerous Animals Seized From Property

A Mabank woman has been arrested and charged with a felony count of animal cruelty after 26 dogs and three cats were taken from her home on VZCR 2724 on October, 16.

Janice Craft, 54, was arrested in Henderson County on Thursday October, 15 for the felony animal cruelty warrant out of Van Zandt County.

According to a press release by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), a SPCA investigator visited the property and began working with Craft to bring her into compliance with the Texas Health and Safety Code.

The investigator returned for the follow up visit almost a month later and the compliance agreement had been met.

"We agreed with the SPCA that the animals’ conditions had deteriorated and that immediate action was needed," said Van Zandt County Investigator Chuck Allen.

Allen said that a hearing regarding the animals’ custody will be held later in the week in the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 court.

If the SPCA of Texas is awarded custody of the animals, they would be individually evaluated for potential adoption or placement on a case by case basis.

"According to the SPCA investigator, at least half of the dogs were underweight, two of the dogs were emaciated, all of the animals are infested with fleas, some have hair loss and one dog appears to have a severe leg injury," said Allen.

The animals were transported to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney, where they will be cared for until the custody hearing.