Owner of alleged Worth County puppy mill pleads not guilty to animal neglect charges

MANLY — A woman from rural Manly charged with 17 counts of animal neglect after over 150 animals were seized from an alleged puppy mill back in November has pleaded not guilty.

The charges were filed last month against 66-year-old Barbara Kavars. Officials seized 154 dogs and four cats from the property. In several visits to the property, a Worth County sheriff’s deputy says he saw kennels covered with feces and mud and visibly skinny dogs with no water and little food.

Court records describe overcrowded and filthy conditions at the rural Manly property. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cared for the animals and called the operation a “puppy mill.”

Kavars pleaded not guilty to the charges in Worth County District Court on Tuesday, with her trial being set for July 23^rd. Animal neglect is a simple misdemeanor, with each charge punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $625 fine.