By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Huntingdon, Tenn.—The couple charged with hundreds of counts of animal cruelty in both Carroll and Putnam Counties were sentenced Monday in Carroll County Circuit Court.
Tara Neutzler, age 44, and Donald Schoenthal, age 53, were charged in both counties after raids at their homes at which hundreds of animals were found living in inhumane conditions.
In Carroll County Court, the couple pleaded guilty in May to one count of aggravated animal cruelty and three counts of animal cruelty. As part of that guilty plea, Judge Donald Parish ordered that the couple not own animals for 10 years.
At Monday’s sentencing, Neutzler was sentenced to serve 60 days in jail on the felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty and five days in jail each on the three counts of animal cruelty. She also was fined $1,500.
Schoenthal was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail on the aggravated animal cruelty charge and 10 days in jail each on the three animal cruelty counts.
Each were also placed on five years of supervised probation.
Appearing for the state was Assistant Attorney General James Webb of Huntingdon. Representing the couple was George Norton of Selmer.
As part of the Carroll County agreement, the couple agreed to surrender their animals to the Animal Rescue Corps which had participated with local law enforcement in both the Carroll County and Putnam County raids.
The Putnam County case against the couple is still ongoing.
In April of 2018, over 150 animals were seized from their Atwood home and in May, another 40 were seized from property they own in Cookeville in Putnam County. In the Carroll County case, some 300 charges had been filed against them.
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