ALEDO, Ill — A Sherrard woman found guilty of animal cruelty for hoarding around 200 dogs at her home has been ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in victim restitution during a Thursday sentencing hearing.
61-year-old Karen Plambeck was found guilty on 11 charges of aggravated cruelty to animals back in March. Her sentencing was initially set for June but multiple delays caused the date to be pushed further.
Mercer County Judge Matthew Durbin sentenced Plambeck to pay $196,342.89 in victim restitution for the costs incurred by local animal agencies who helped rescue the dogs. She will also have to serve 270 days in jail and six years of probation. Plambeck is not allowed to have any animals in her possession during her probation and must undergo a mental health evaluation.
The charges in Plambeck's case date back to August 2022 when Mercer County Animal Control received an animal welfare complaint regarding Plambeck's home. A warranted search of her property recovered 198 dogs, according to the Mercer County Sheriff's Office. Plambeck claimed during her trial to be an expert breeder of collies.
Durbin said while Plambeck does not have a serious history of criminal activity, she does have a "history pertaining to animals that has gotten progressively worse."
"I do find that it is necessary, to protect the public, to impose a jail sentence," he said. "This was her job...There was no other conclusion that this court could come to except she knew what she was doing. She testified herself she was an expert essentially in this field...and since that day and to this very minute I have heard absolutely no remorse. Just excuses. The excuses that she testified to while she was under oath, the excuses made by certain members of the family, excuse, excuse, excuse, that doesn't cut it."
Durbin also spoke about the conditions the dogs were in. During the trial back in February, police bodycam footage showed in court displayed what one detective called "just filthy conditions," with many dogs locked in cages and water buckets filled with dogs.
"We've got a factual situation here that no one can run from and certain dogs that can't run anymore without being afraid of human beings," Durbin said during the sentencing. "This is a sorry, sad state of affairs that can't be undone and should never be duplicated."
Plambeck also faced a previous animal cruelty offense back in 2019, however, those charges were negotiated down to disorderly conduct. Plambeck served 24 months of probation and paid a $300 fine in that case.
