Dakota County Woman Accused of Drowning Puppies

A Northfield woman has been charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty for allegedly killing dogs at her kennel.

Dayna Kristine Bell, 61, owns and operates Bell Kennels in Sciota Township.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court, the Dakota County Sheriff's Office received a report of cruelty and maltreatment of animals by Bell in September 2011.

A witness reported that Bell was drowning puppies, in one case taking a rope that was attached to a cinder block, tying it around a dog's neck and throwing the block and puppy into a pool, according to the complaint.

The witness also told authorities that Bell claimed to break the neck of a small dog that bit her.

Another witness alleges that Bell drowned two newborn puppies with injured legs in a bucket of water. 

When investigators searched Bell's property, they found 10 small breed adult dogs in individual plastic bags in a freezer chest believed to have been put in the freezer while still wet, according to the complaint.

"The abuse of animals in the manner alleged in this criminal complaint is unconscionable," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a press release.

Barbara Todd of Burnsville said Tuesday that her family bought a puppy from Bell in January 2007.

“I remember the area outside her trailer didn’t look good,” Todd said. “The kennels were just dirt, and I remember thinking, 'I hope this is OK; I hope it’s not a puppy mill.'

“When we drove up to the place, I thought there were too many dogs in a little space. I thought, 'maybe this isn’t so good.' We couldn’t tell that they were being mistreated, but it was sad to see all the dogs in that kind of environment.”

The inside of the trailer, where most of the dogs were kept, appeared clean, Todd said. She and her two sons, who had intended to buy a cockapoo, instead picked out a shih tzu-poodle mix and paid Bell $350 for the dog.

She said she and her sons were in tears when they realized that their dog had come from Bell’s kennel.

Eight of the 16 charges Bell faces are felonies. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

Bell is expected to make her first court appearance Tuesday morning.

Keep up with crime news. Be sure to follow Burnsville Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletters, which send you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.