Miller sentenced to probation, counseling

Amber Willard

A judge has put Pamela Miller on a short leash.

Miller, who was convicted of animal cruelty after Burbank Police

officers found almost 90 dogs inside a home she was using, was

sentenced Monday to three years’ probation and counseling, as well as

being ordered to have no more than three dogs at a time and to submit

to police searches.

The Pasadena judge also ordered Miller to pay restitution to the

city for the costs it incurred while caring for the dogs, most of

which have been adopted through the Burbank Animal Shelter. A hearing

to determine the amount of restitution is set for March 21.

“I hope she takes this as a second chance and complies,” Det.

Matthew Ferguson said Tuesday, referring to Miller as an “animal

collector.”

Ferguson said the seizure of 86 dogs in July at a vacant home in

the 100 block of West Linden Avenue was the first of such magnitude

in the city’s history.

“We’re looking to keep future dogs from being hurt,” Ferguson

said. “This is her last and final warning.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Melissa Reinhold also had grim words about

Miller, who is former licensed kennel owner in the city.

“She doesn’t admit that she did anything wrong, so we [are

concerned] she will continue. She might already be in violation,”

Reinhold said.

Miller was convicted in November of one count of felony animal

cruelty, when a judge found that leaving the dogs -- most of which

were pit bulls -- unsupervised for at least eight hours was a

negligent decision, but not one meant to intentionally harm the dogs.

During the three-day trial, Miller said she left the dogs in Burbank

as she was moving them from Riverside County to Kern County.

At that time, Miller was under a court order not to possess more

than three dogs anywhere in Burbank.