Moving Forward After the Beth Evans Cruelty Case

---

One of the largest dog breeding cruelty cases in Mason County has finally come to a close after two long years.

HSMC was there on Day 1, working alongside law enforcement to assess the animals and coordinate their care.

While the criminal case moved through the justice system, there was much about that day and the weeks that followed that we could not publicly share. Now that the case has concluded and Beth Evans has been prosecuted, we are finally able to tell more of the story of what happened on that property and, most importantly, what happened to the animals who survived it.

**Please be advised that this cruelty case is horrific, and while we will not share gruesome photos, the story alone is enough to upset your stomach and bring tears to your eyes. Please read with caution.**

Let us be clear. This was not a situation of a pet owner who became overwhelmed with too many animals.

Beth Evans ran a commercial breeding business through the online puppy sales website, Puppies.com, where she went by the alias "Paula" and had many positive reviews.

To customers online, Evans could appear to be a knowledgeable, caring older woman who understood dog breeds and answered questions about the puppies.

Those adopters weren't aware of the deplorable conditions the parents of those puppies were living in.

They didn't see the pens crammed with dogs, separated by breed. Most pens had four or five females and one male. In some cases, the females were chained while the male in the pen was allowed to roam freely, most likely to result in a higher number of pregnancies. Some of the dogs were seniors, being forced into the physically taxing and dangerous job of pregnancy and birth to earn a paycheck for Evans.

Those adopters never saw the emaciated bodies of animals who didn't have enough to eat, the dogs whose mouths were taped shut, or the open wounds that were not being treated.

They didn't know about the dogs trapped in small cages, lying in urine-soaked wood chips covered in feces, or the remains of animals who perished and were left to rot. 

The public saw adorable puppies being cared for by a sweet and knowledgeable lady. Behind the scenes, these poor animals were suffering immensely.

It's possible that law enforcement would have never been called to the scene if it wasn't for Heaven, a dog who escaped and brought attention to the horrific cruelty these animals were experiencing.

Heaven had been severely attacked by other dogs on the property, and her injuries were so significant that one of her legs had to be amputated. Our friends at Pasado’s Safe Haven stepped up, taking Heaven into their care and providing the extensive veterinary treatment she needed.

But Heaven survived, recovered, and received a second chance. And because of her being able to escape and get help, 71 other animals received a second chance as well.

Moon was one of the animals rescued from the property. HSMC Board Member Tina opened her home to Moon, fostering her while she recovered and began her new life.

A Better Tomorrow

We must do better in order to stop these horrific crimes against animals. 

• Our state and county must provide thorough oversight of breeding operations and swift enforcement of animal welfare regulations. Breeding kennels should receive inspections, and those inspections must ensure that animals are being housed and cared for appropriately. 
  
  
• Laws must be enacted to prevent animal cruelty and neglect, and systems must be put into place to prevent another situation like this from continuing unnoticed.
  
  
• Animal cruelty cases can be extremely complicated and difficult to prosecute, and they can take years to move through the system. Stronger punishment and more expedient processes are needed.

Beth Evans was sentenced on one count of animal cruelty. She spent 15 days in custody and will no longer be allowed to own, possess, care for, or live with animals.

That's it.

Moving Forward

We encourage all adopters to consider rescue when adding a new furry friend to your family. 

For those who choose to purchase from a breeder, we implore you to do your research. Meet the parents of the puppies. See where they live. Search for reviews outside of the breeder's website. Do not assume that good reviews, a professional-looking online presence, breed knowledge or a friendly seller automatically means the animals are being treated well.

HSMC is committed to being here when Mason County's animals need us.

While HSMC does not receive funding from Mason County to provide animal control or sheltering services, we remain committed to working alongside law enforcement and our community when animals need us. 

Cases like this are possible for HSMC to respond to because of the people who support us. Donations from our community and our robust programming give us the flexibility to step in when animals need veterinary care, transportation, supplies, safe placement, and immediate support, allowing us to respond to needs that might otherwise go unmet.

As HSMC continues to grow, so does our commitment to creating a stronger safety net for animals throughout Mason County.

A New Beginning

We are incredibly thankful to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office for taking the situation seriously, investigating, obtaining the warrant, and giving these animals a chance.

We are equally grateful to the incredible animal welfare organizations that answered our calls and stepped up to help us get 67 dogs, four cats, and one horse to safety. Pasado’s Safe Haven, Seattle Humane, Kitsap Humane Society, Joint Animal Services, Save a Forgotten Equine (SAFE), Wenatchee Valley Humane Society, and Smidget Rescue each played a role in helping us provide care, placement, and a path forward for these animals.

And we thank our veterinary team, staff, fosters, adopters, volunteers, donors, and everyone else who worked alongside us - many working around the clock - to provide care and comfort for these animals.

All of the animals regained a healthy weight once they were finally able to have an appropriate amount of food. They were scared of humans, but with time and patience, they learned that they were safe. 

All the animals were adopted into loving homes.

Pictured here from left to right in their adoptive homes are Athena, Murphy and Snoop.

---

From Our Executive Director

There are moments in this work that stay with you forever. The Beth Evans case is one for me.

At 11:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, I got a call from a Mason County Sheriff’s deputy. They had received approval for the warrant. I was told to meet them at the Beth Evans property at 9:00 a.m. the next morning when they would serve it.

I knew we were potentially walking into a very large animal cruelty case, so I started thinking about what we would need and who I could call. By the next morning, I was there with law enforcement as they entered the property.

Nothing could have fully prepared me for what we found.

I spent the next four days on that property helping secure and care for the animals while we figured out where 67 dogs, four cats, and a horse were going to go. I pulled every connection I had, calling friends and colleagues at shelters, rescue partners, veterinary professionals, and animal control officers I knew. We needed kennels, transportation, placement, veterinary care, supplies and people willing to help.

And people showed up.

That is one of the things I will remember most about this case. In the middle of something truly awful, I watched an incredible network of people come together for animals they had never met.

At the time, HSMC was entirely foster-based. We didn't have a dog shelter where we could simply bring 67 dogs. There was no easy solution waiting for us. We had to build one in real time, and I could not be more proud of the way our team and our partners did exactly that.

When I think about that property and then look at where we are today, it is hard not to feel hopeful about the future of animal welfare in Mason County.

Our new partnership providing animal services for the City of Shelton is just the tip of what we are working toward. HSMC is building greater capacity, stronger partnerships, and expanded veterinary and animal welfare services so that we can continue to be there when animals and people throughout our community need us.

There is still so much work ahead. But I know what this organization is capable of because I have watched it happen firsthand.

Two years ago, we stood on a property with dozens of animals who needed somewhere to go and no simple answer for where that would be.

We figured it out. We showed up. And so did our community.

That is the HSMC I am proud to lead, and I cannot wait to see what we build next for the animals of Mason County.

Katherine Johnson
Executive Director
Humane Society of Mason County