A Wichita man charged with 70 counts of animal cruelty appeared briefly in Kay County District Court in Newkirk Friday.
Jerry Lee Southern, 32, won’t have to appear again until April 17, according to court records. He is free on bond.
Southern was renting property south of Newkirk where more than 100 pit bulls were discovered Dec. 2 by hunters. Ninety-six were staked outside without food or water. Ten dogs were found in a barn. Some puppies were also found.
Southern – who has a long rap sheet going back to 1994 – told authorities that he raised and then sold the dogs but that nobody had been buying them. He has been charged in the past with cruelty to animals and was ordered by a Kansas court not to possess any Pit Bulls.
Several organizations stepped in to save the animals. People from across the country donated food, straw and cash.
