Animal forfeiture hearing delayed

SANDPOINT — Forfeiture proceedings are pending against a Bonner County woman charged with nine counts of animal cruelty.

The forfeiture proceedings involve four horses and five dogs at Rebecca Renee Smith's Clagstone Road home. The state contends the animals have inadequate shelter, food and water.

Two other horses were found dead of dehydration last month and a mixed-breed puppy was allegedly feeding off one of the carcasses, according to court documents. A Bonner County Sheriff's animal control deputy and a veterinarian inspected the property and found the animals living among scrap metal, frozen water bowls and no access to fallen snow.

Smith, a 35-year-old single mother of four, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is fighting the state's effort to seize the animals.

A forfeiture hearing was set for Feb. 2, but postponed until Friday. Friday's hearing was called off because the defense had only recently received discovery documents in the case, court records indicate.