Whatcom County woman on trial for llama abuse

Smith faces 8 counts of first-degree animal cruelty

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Two and a half years after a Whatcom County woman was charged with abusing eight llamas, a Superior Court judge will determine her guilt or innocence.

Lanette E. Smith is facing eight counts of first-degree animal cruelty, and her bench trial began in Judge Charles Snyder's courtroom Tuesday, Oct. 13.

A prosecutor and Smith's public defender delivered opening statements Tuesday afternoon, and afterward Snyder heard testimony from a veterinarian who evaluated many of the llamas.

Smith was caring for 41 llamas in a pasture in the 6000 block of Olson Road west of Ferndale in March 2007 when passing drivers reported seeing a dead llama in the pasture.

Security Specialists Plus, which at that time contracted with the county government to provide animal control, sent an officer and Nancy Williams, a veterinarian based in Maple Falls, to the site to check on the animals.

Williams testified that many of the llamas were dangerously underweight and dehydrated, some had matted fur and were missing teeth, and almost all had lice and parasites.

All 41 were eventually seized, but seven had to be euthanized, Williams said.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Sawyer said that evidence would be enough to convict Smith.

"Almost every single one of them were determined to be starved," Sawyer said. "There will be overwhelming evidence in this case that Ms. Smith was responsible for these animals ... and that she starved them and dehydrated them."

Senior Deputy Public Defender Lance Hendrix, who's representing Smith, disputed that assertion and said SSP had been to Smith's ranch to check on the llama herd several times and found nothing wrong.

Hendrix said the animals were seized in a raid, which he contends caused one to suffer a broken leg and contributed to the death of another.

The seven llamas were euthanized because of their nasty attitudes toward people, which prevented them from being adopted, Hendrix said.

"Many of the animals that were confiscated ... were not starving," Hendrix said. "Basically what the court will find when this is over is that this was a bit of a witch hunt."