Laci Rae Harper

An initial hearing originally set for Dec. 2 for a Burket woman accused of starving two German Shepherd puppies was held nearly a month early, likely to avoid publicity.

Laci Bailey-Harper, 26, 107 E. Center St., Burket, was arrested in October, 11 days after her neighbor discovered the two near death puppies tied up in her backyard. Patrick Jamison took video of the puppies and posted it on Facebook to get the attention of local authorities after he said his reports to authorities seemed to go unanswered. That same day, the female puppy died. Jamison discovered the carcass and found that the male puppy had begun to consume his litter mate.

Kosciusko County Prosecutor Dan Hampton initially charged Bailey with a single Class A misdemeanor charge of cruelty to an animal. The second charge was filed about a week later when the results of a necropsy showed the deceased puppy died of starvation and not the parvovirus as Harper claimed. (See related)

Kosciusko Superior Court II Judge James Jarrette is presiding over the case. In court on Nov. 8, defense attorney Kristina Lynn of Wabash asked for a jury trial in the matter. The trial has been set for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 24, 2014, with a secondary date of Thursday, June 19, 2014.

Harper still has until April 15, 2014, to accept a plea. A pretrial conference has been set for that day to be held at 1:15 p.m.

The surviving puppy in the case was treated by a veterinarian and is currently in police custody being cared for. Hampton said he ordered the puppy to be kept in police protection and properly cared for until the case is finished, at which time the judge will make the final determination on whether the puppy be returned to Harper or permanently removed from her custody.