Woman who had dozens of dogs seized avoids jail time

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A Norton Shores woman accused of animal neglect after dozens of dogs were removed from her home will not receive any additional jail time.

Lisa Cober was sentenced Monday by Judge Matthew Kacel in Muskegon Circuit Court. In lieu of jail, Cober has been sentenced to 5 years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

As part of her probation, she cannot own any animals.

Cober was arrested in January 2023 after police searched her Norton Shores home following a tip from an area animal shelter. She ran a sanctuary called Cober’s Canine Shelter. In all, 78 living dogs were seized from the home, including many that were in “poor health” and “dreadful” living conditions.

Following the seizure, the Norton Shores Police Department said at least 25 of the dogs were sick or injured, and that eight puppies had died at the house from a distemper outbreak and two more had to be euthanized.

That distemper outbreak eventually spread to the Big Lake Humane Society, one of four local agencies to take in the rescued dogs, killing two dogs unaffiliated with Cober’s Canines.

Big Lake Humane Society executive director Alexis Robertson told News 8 last year that the two dogs who contracted the virus received their first doses of distemper vaccine, but the virus took hold before the vaccine could make an impact. In all, 21 dogs died of distemper directly connected to Cober’s Canines.

Distemper is a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system in dogs and puppies. The most common symptoms are lethargy and a lack of appetite, but distemper is usually diagnosed after nervous issues, including loss of balance and twitches. Vaccines are widely available and American Humane considers it one of the “core vaccines” for dogs.

Cober faced a reduced felony charge of animal cruelty to 10 or more but fewer than 25 animals. She could have spent up to four years in prison.

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