(AUBURN) - A DeKalb County couple accused of keeping dozens of dogs in deplorable conditions entered not guilty pleas Monday in DeKalb Circuit Court.
Stanley and Angela Gard each face 45 counts of cruelty to an animal and one count of failure to register as a commercial dog breeder.
The charges stem from an investigation at the couple's rural Ashley property last month. Court documents allege animal control officers found conditions so severe that ammonia in the home burned their eyes, noses and airways. Investigators also reported crates caked with feces and other debris. Animal welfare groups that later cared for the dogs said many required extensive grooming and medical treatment.
The case has drawn interest from animal advocates across northeast Indiana, with several attending Monday's hearing.
The Gards are scheduled to return to court July 22 at 9 a.m.