The case of a woman charged with 15 counts of animal cruelty in Cibola County ended in a mistrial Wednesday, June 15.

Arlene Krippene, now 75, was arrested two years ago in Ramah when sheriff’s deputies found starving dogs and animal carcasses on her property. Krippene maintains that she was running an animal shelter.

“Arlene was running out of dog food and realized she was in trouble,” Marcy Britton, a longtime animal activist, tells SFR.

Britton says Animal Protection of New Mexico should have let the dogs go. Instead, animal workers said they had to euthanize 70 of 93 dogs because they were too sick to save. 

Registered lobbyist Heather Ferguson, who volunteered with Attorney General Gary King’s Animal Cruelty Task Force, was there to document the animals. Ferguson has been accused of misrepresenting herself as an employee or contractor of the AG’s office. 

Patricia Feeser, another task force volunteer and a veterinarian who now goes by the surname Norris, was a witness at the trial and referenced a report that wasn’t provided to the defense, ultimately leading to a mistrial.

Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney Lemuel Martinez plans to refile the case, according to the Cibola Beacon. Neither he nor Norris could be reached for comment.