A Stanislaus County man, Darrell Coleman, 57, has been found guilty of 17 counts of animal cruelty. The charges are related to the mistreatment of dogs in his care, mainly from an incident in July 2022, as reported by the Stanislaus County District Attorney.
In July 2022, Newman Animal Control found 15 dogs trapped in a trailer with temperatures reaching 97 degrees after the vehicle had been abandoned for at least two days. The dogs were kept in stacked cages without adequate food or water and were lying in their own waste. Two additional dogs were found in the truck cabin, one with severe wounds. All animals were taken into care and received medical attention. During the trial, evidence showed that Coleman operated a "puppy mill," described by the District Attorney’s office as places where "dogs are generally kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions with a lack of veterinary care," and bred in large numbers, as stated by the Stanislaus County District Attorney.
According to the Stanislaus County District Attorney on their Facebook page, the Newman Police Department conducted the investigation that led to Coleman's arrest, and Animal Cruelty Prosecutor Tracy Griffin handled the case. Griffin described the negligence and abuse the animals suffered during the trial. The District Attorney's office announced, "Coleman will be sentenced on July 31, 2025." Media inquiries about the case should be sent to [email protected]. The dogs involved are now part of the case against animal cruelty.
