MOUNTAIN HOME — Tammy Christine Hanson was returned to Baxter County late Friday after nearly four years on the run in an animal-cruelty case that gained national notoriety.
Authorities were also seeking the return of her husband, William Hanson, 44, from a jail in Johnson County, Mo.
The Hansons, who operated an "animal sanctuary" that sheltered hundreds of mistreated dogs, fled after their convictions in Baxter County District Court in January 2006 of 20 counts each of misdemeanor animal cruelty, the most serious charge allowed under state law at that time.
The Hanson case ranks among the most severe animal-abuse cases in thenation, according to the Humane Society of the United States. The case also factored into the Arkansas Legislature's decision to pass the state's first felony animalcruelty law this year.
Tammy Hanson, 42, was returned to Arkansas on Friday night from Caledonia County, Vt. She was held in the Baxter County detention center without bail, Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said.
Authorities had tracked dozens of leads across multiple states in their pursuit of the couple. They got a break this summer, when the Hansons surfaced in Caledonia County, Vt. They were living in a rented farmhouse under assumed names.
Tammy Hanson was arrested July 18. Days later, Gov. Mike Beebe took the unusual step of signing an extradition warrant seeking the return of a misdemeanor fugitive. She actively fought extradition until last week, when a Vermont judge issued an order permitting her return to Baxter County.
Her husband was arrested Tuesday in Missouri.
"William Hanson has refused to waive extradition, and Baxter County authorities are prepared to begin formal extradition proceedings against him as well," Montgomery said.
Law enforcement officers, veterinarians and volunteers from the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas were nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of sick and injured dogs found on the Hanson property after deputies executed a search warrant there in October 2005, Montgomery said.
The dogs included about60 pit bulls and pit-bull mixes from the Gulf Coast that had been displaced by HurricaneKatrina.
The animals were in "deplorable, unsanitary and cruel conditions," the sheriff said Friday.
"A lengthy follow-up that included an investigation and prolonged care for the animals was undertaken," Montgomery said. "At the time it was believed to be the largest animal-cruelty case in the United States."
The Humane Society of the United States oversaw the dogs' care with assistance from United Animal Nations, another animal-protection organization. The dogs were eventually placed in private homes and shelters around the country.
The two organizations reported spending more than $167,000 to care for and relocate the animals.
Tammy Hanson also faces felony theft charges in Lawrence County, Mo., where she is accused of stealing dogs.
Her husband is wanted in Vermont on a misdemeanor cruelty count after Caledonia County authorities said they found four maltreated dogs locked in a room at his residence.
Arkansas, Pages 17, 20 on 09/27/2009