A judge in Hall County, NE has ordered a western Iowa woman to appear in Grand Island by no later than 5-p.m. next Wednesday, to serve 120 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation after having been convicted on felony charges of animal neglect. 49-year old Denise Withee, of Mapleton (IA), was convicted in July 2009 for her role in the dumping of 20 dead and three dying dogs in a cornfield near Grand Island during the summer of 2008.

During her trial, Withee claimed she was taking the dogs to someone in Nebraska, when she became sick. She said she pulled over and passed out. When she awoke, Withee says most of the dogs were dead from the heat.

After her conviction in 2009, Withee was sentenced to four-years of probation and ordered not to possess or reside with any animal for five-years. But last week, Sheriff’s deputies in Monona County (IA) who were checking-up on Withee, found 13 dogs at the home she shares with her mother. Both women were cited for suspicion of animal cruelty. The presence of those animals in her home violated the terms of Withee’s Nebraska probation.