Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says 59 year old Colleen Jolley (DOB 12/17/54) of Wittman, Arizona was arrested and taken into custody immediately after a court appearance this Tuesday afternoon.
Arpaio says as a result of his detective’s investigation, Jolley now faces a total of 205 charges for animal abuse and neglect stemming from a puppy mill operation she ran from her west valley home. Those charges include 99 counts of failure to provide medical care, 99 counts of failure to provide shelter, and seven (7) counts of failure to provide food.
Arpaio says that in mid-May, a tip came into the Sheriff’s Office that the conditions at the Wittman residence were extremely bad. Sheriff’s Animal crimes detectives responded to the property at 21804 West Laura Street.
Once a search warrant was granted, detectives seized 99 animals, some horses and turtles, but most were dogs. In fact, 92 ‘designer dogs’, mostly puppies, were found living in wooden boxes which were screwed together with only small openings for air. Each box had multiple puppies living inside, in their own waste, some without food or water.
Sheriff’s deputies seized the dogs which were later identified as English bulldogs, labradoodles, French bulldogs and other high end breeds.
The animals were taken to a vet clinic for examination, Arpaio says. Many were sick with parvo. Four have since died from parvo and eleven (11) remain in a vet’s clinic being treated for the disease.
Those healthy enough were transferred to the Sheriff’s MASH (Maricopa County Animal Safe Haven) unit inside the Sheriff’s old First Avenue Jail. Female inmates and detention staff have been caring for the puppies since May 13, 2015.
“We are doing our utmost,” Arpaio says, “to keep these dogs alive. But it appears that the conditions into which they were born were so poor, that some have succumbed to disease and others may still.”
Ownership of all these animals was taken away from Jolley in court and given over to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Their vet care bills are mounting and we really need the public’s help,” said Arpaio.
Jolley has been determined by ICE officials working inside the Sheriff’s intake facility, to be in the United States illegally, Sheriff Joe Arpaio says.
Jolley is a resident of the United Kingdom and has over stayed her visa and was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.