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Sep. 5—PALMER — A Wasilla man is facing felony animal cruelty charges after authorities found more than a dozen dead animals, mostly rabbits and goats, on his property this summer, Alaska State Troopers said.
Troopers pulled over 42-year-old Kevin Neher as he drove Knik-Goose Bay Road on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain. A judge issued the $2,500 warrant on Wednesday.
The case began in late June when Matanuska-Susitna Borough animal control officers conducted a welfare check on two animals at Neher’s address and found numerous dead animals in a garage, DeSpain said.
Troopers who responded to the animal control report found nine dead rabbits, three dead goats and a dog, he said. Inside the garage, authorities described a stench of decay, waste and ammonia, with waste covering the floor outside nearly two dozen kennels.
DeSpain said in an email that the kennels were filthy, with feces, hay and urine packed up to 5 inches deep. “Most kennels had water stations and bowls, which were all empty,” he said.
Animal control officers also seized two “severely underweight” large-breed dogs and a healthy cat with Neher’s consent, troopers said.
Veterinarians could not determine the cause of death for the smaller animals due to their condition, but it appeared the dog died from dehydration, DeSpain said.
Neher was arrested on six counts of animal cruelty: three felony counts for inflicting severe pain and three misdemeanor counts for failure to care.
Neher was at one point a sled dog musher who signed up to run the 2012 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race but withdrew before the race started. He operated a kennel in Knik at the time, according to his bio on the race site.
Neher was in custody at Mat-Su Pretrial Facility and was scheduled for his first court appearance Friday morning.
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