Ferndale-area residents get 90 days in jail in animal cruelty case

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Three Ferndale-area residents will spend 90 days in jail after they were sentenced for first-degree animal cruelty in Whatcom County Superior Court Thursday, Feb. 5.

Michael Wopat pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree animal cruelty in court Thursday. Richard and Maria Huffman pleaded guilty to the same charges Jan. 29.

Judge Steven Mura issued identical sentences of 90 days in jail, $1,600 in restitution and five years without owning animals to Wopat and the Huffmans.

"If any of the three of you come back on a violation of your release or another cruelty charge, you're going to get a year in jail or more prison time," Mura said.

Maria and Richard Huffman were released from jail after their pleas but appeared in court Thursday for their sentencing. Flanked by their attorneys, David Brown and Andrew Subin, the Huffmans stood silently in front of Mura as he read their sentences.

Still in custody, Wopat stood in the courtroom's jury box with his hands shackled and his waist chained to other inmates.

Neither the Huffmans nor Wopat had any prior felony convictions, so Senior Deputy Prosecutor Eric Richey said he was inclined to agree with their defense attorneys and recommend the 90-day jail sentence because the time would affect them more than repeat felons.

Whatcom County sheriff's deputies arrested the Huffmans and Wopat at their home on the 7000 block of Tall Cedars Lane in October.

Deputies found 41 abused animals, including dogs, cats, ducks, chickens and other birds, at first, according to charging documents filed in Superior Court.

They discovered more animals later, including four dogs with their throats slit. Only one puppy, later named Mira, survived.

All but three of the animals have been adopted from the Whatcom Humane Society, Executive Director Penny Cistaro said.

While Maria Huffman and Wopat each were charged with four additional counts of animal cruelty for the dogs' deaths, there wasn't a witness and proving one of them did it would be difficult, Richey said.