Three Fort Shaw residents charged with animal cruelty entered their pleas in a Great Falls court today.

They were responsible for the care and feeding of several animals, including two horses belonging to a serviceman currently deployed in Iraq.

Elizabeth Lee, Marilyn Whiteside, and David Lee each pled not guilty to four charges.

Each defendant faces one count of felony animal cruelty and three counts of misdemeanor improper disposition of a dead animal.

The serviceman's mother removed her son's horses from the property on February 9th and called authorities, charging the Lees and Whiteside were neglecting her son's horses and other animals on the property.

Animal Control Officers found two dead cows, a dead calf, and three dead horses, along with two mini-donkeys showing serious signs of neglect.

All three have been scheduled for trial on July 27th.

(from March 31, 2009)

New details have been released in the case of alleged animal cruelty on a Ft. Shaw property.

Court documents say David Lee, Elizabeth Lee, and Marilyn Whiteside were responsible for the care and feeding of several animals, including two horses belonging to a serviceman currently deployed in Iraq.

The serviceman's mother removed her son's horses from the property on February 9th and called authorities, charging that the Lees and Whiteside were neglecting the horses and other animals on the property.

Animal Control officers found two dead cows, a dead calf, and three dead horses, along with two mini-donkeys showing serious signs of neglect.

Each defendant faces one count of animal cruelty and four counts of improper disposition of a dead animal.