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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- A Provo woman has been billed $10,000 for the care of her eight pets at the Utah County Animal Shelter before animal-abuse charges against her were dismissed.
Marie Covington Vrondos was found incompetent to stand trial.
In a court order dated March 17, 4th District Judge Derek Pullan dismissed the four counts against Vrondos but said she was responsible for costs of taking care of her seven cats and a dog from about Aug. 14 to the date of the court order.
The order said that if Vrondos did not retrieve the animals within five days, the shelter could dispose of the animals. The animals were still alive Monday at an undisclosed location.
"Our concern is just making sure the animals are taken care of in a humane way," said city spokesman Michael Mower.
If Vrondos doesn't pay the more than $10,000 bill, "That's something we'll have to work out," city prosecutor Steve Schreiner said.
Schreiner contended the animals housed in the woman's motor home "were not in very good conditions," he said.
The city charged Vrondos with failure to care and maintain animals, cruelty to animals, failure to vaccinate and a kennel violation.
But Vrondos' court-appointed attorney said she had some pretty good defenses.
"In essence, she never had her day in court," said attorney Scott Card, because she was found incompetent to stand trial.
It was the length of all the legal proceeding that led to large bill from the shelter, Card said.
Vrondos' first attorney stepped down, citing a conflict of interest, before Card was appointed to the case.
Vrondos underwent three competency evaluations.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
