Woman Who Kept Dogs In Freezer Bags Sentenced In South Jersey Court

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ — A Shamong woman received 90 days in prison for keeping more than 150 dogs on her property, some of them dead and in freezer bags.

Donna Roberts, 68, also received 5 years probation, 30 days community service, as well as pay several fines and ordered not to own, raise or otherwise take care of an animal during her probation during her formal sentencing in a Burlington County courtroom on Friday.

The judge's acceptance of Roberts' plea and sentence came about 3-1/2 years after authorities found 161 living dogs and 44 dead dogs that were in freezer bags and stored in freezers at Roberts' home.

While some dogs were in such bad condition they needed treatment at the scene, others were sent to animal-welfare organizations throughout New Jersey for treatment. These other organizations also oversaw the fostering and adoption of the dogs.

Some of the authorities and officials who were at the scene the day Roberts was charged said a smell of animal feces and ammonia was present throughout the house, which led some of them to become dizzy and nauseous.

Roberts was originally indicted on eight counts of third-degree animal cruelty in December 2019. She pleaded guilty to one count of causing cruelty to animals in the third degree this past February and the recommended sentence was first announced this past March.

Had the plea not been accepted, the state was fully prepared to take Roberts to trial with evidence of "inhumane and horrific conditions unsuitable for any animal," Assistant Burlington County Prosecutor Rachel Conte said at the hearing.

"Ninety days in jail is lenient, given the awful circumstances of this case," Conte added. "The case involves the most vulnerable type of victims, they can't speak for themselves, can't care for themselves [and] can't defend themselves. Those victims being the dogs that died as a result of the conduct of the defendant. Those dogs did not have the dignity of basic needs, such as the availability of clean water, food [and] shelter."

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