RAPID CITY, S.D. – Last week, 66-year-old Lauri Harris Jobbins of Rapid City, was sentenced for her role in a troubling case of animal neglect. Jobbins, along with her husband Kenneth, was arrested in early 2023 after being charged with aiding and abetting in the neglect of several horses and two donkeys. This followed the removal of a total of 14 horses and two donkeys from their property.
The animals discovered on the property showed severe neglect, including eight deceased horses, a donkey and a horse with overgrown hooves, and several others with dangerously low body condition scores. These scores, provided by the Bureau of Land Management, indicate the animals’ health, with a score of 2 indicating severe emaciation and a score of 3 signifying significant thinness.
In March, Jobbins agreed to plead guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting animal neglect. In exchange, the remaining counts were dropped. Senior Deputy State’s Attorney Olivia Siglin recommended to Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue a 360-day jail term and restitution exceeding $20,000. The State also requested that Jobbins be prohibited from owning animals during her sentence.
Arrest Made In Animal Abuse Investigation That Is Ongoing 〉
Judge Bogue imposed a 360-day jail term for each count, with all but 10 days suspended. Full restitution was ordered, and Jobbins was barred from owning or possessing large farm animals throughout her sentence.
Judge Bogue emphasized the seriousness of the case. “I don’t minimize what happened to these horses. These are sentient animals, and they suffered,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Jobbins’ co-defendant and husband, Kenneth Jobbins, awaits a jury trial scheduled for July 25-26, 2024.
Jobbins, and her husband, 73-year-old Kenneth Jobbins, were arrested in January of 2023 after dead and neglected horses and donkeys were discovered on their property. In South Dakota, Animal Neglect/Aiding & Abetting Animal Neglect is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to 1 year in county jail and/or a $2,000 fine.
This case was prosecuted on behalf of the State by Senior Deputy State’s Attorneys Olivia Siglin and Andrea Rosenberg.
