BILLINGS — Two sisters have each been charged with 14 charges of animal cruelty in Yellowstone County District Court in connection with the Sept. 30 seizure of 42 malnourished dogs from a Shepherd residence.
“The condition of these dogs was horrific that involved that required law enforcement to get involved,” said County Attorney Scott Twito, R-Yellowstone County.
Katie Marie Milliken and Rebekkah Lynn Collins pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include 12 felonies and two misdemeanors, at their arraignments on Oct. 10.
“Those are very serious charges and something this office takes very seriously,” said Twito.
Watch Shepherd dog-breeding story here:
The investigation began on Sept. 4, when Yellowstone County deputies received a complaint from a woman who said she had purchased an eight-year-old Newfoundland dog in poor health from a breeder, identified as Milliken, according to charging documents filed by Yellowstone Senior Deputy County Attorney Ingrid Rosenquist.
Deputies contacted another woman who sold the dog, named Esme, to Milliken in July 2024. In September 2024, the dog weighed 115 pounds when she was brought in for vaccinations, which was about normal for the breed. After a year in Milliken's care, the dog shrunk to 62 pounds, according to court documents.
A veterinarian told deputies Esme likely lost weight because she was not fed regularly and kept in a kennel without regular human contact.
The dog had been listed on the Crystal Waters Newfoundland kennel page for $500. When the buyer met Milliken to pick up the dog at Lake Elmo, she said Esme was matted on her backside, and a foul odor was coming from the vehicle.
A deputy and an animal control officer went to Milliken's property on 12 Mile Road and knocked on the door, but no one answered.
The animal control officer then received a call from Milliken, who said she had been out of town for an extended period of time— contradicting the timeline of the woman who had just met her to buy Esme.
She also told authorities that her sister, Collins, was the contact person for her children and had seen them on the surveillance cameras.
On Sept. 11, the deputy and animal control officer returned to the property to check on the dogs' welfare. Collins was there and said Milliken was out of town but could speak with them on the phone.
The deputy found a shed containing dogs in kennels, many of which were jumping and barking frantically, according to court documents. The kennels were described as "extremely filthy," as well as smelly and dark. Urine lined the floors.
Upon entering the residence, the deputy found feces on the floor and four Australian puppies in one kennel with no food or water. Another six Newfoundland puppies were in a box nearby, with no water.
“The logistics behind is ... very challenging and again, my hats off to the Sheriff's Office and the people that participated,” Twito said.
Collins said she had been in and out of the hospital and had left a neighbor in charge of feeding and water. The neighbor was not charged.
The next day, Milliken and Collins went to the sheriff's office and complained they were being harassed. Milliken said she only bred the dogs when she had a buyer, and she provided information about the animals' vets.
She declined to discuss the complaint filed by the woman who bought Esme, and instead said she wanted to speak to an attorney.
Deputies arrived to search the property on Sept. 25 and found contracts to sell dogs from Rising Hope Australian Shepherds, a kennel owned by Collins.
Deputies seized the 42 dogs out of concern for their safety and took them to a safe location in Yellowstone County, according to authorities. Deputies also found decaying, foul-smelling flesh in dirt patch, covered with maggots— a possible burial site.
If convicted of all charges, the two sisters each face up to 26 years in prison and up to $32,000 in fines.
