Head of SDSU University Police facing cruelty to animal charges

(Brookings Radio – Brookings, SD) Timothy Heaton — SDSU’s Chief of University Police — is facing five charges of Cruelty to Animals.

In a Dec. 5 news release, Brookings County State’s Attorney Dan Nelson said Brookings Police received complaints about unseen barking dogs and a strong fecal odor at a home owned by Heaton at 1008 3rd Street.

Nelson said officers investigated multiple times and found abandoned vehicles and a hole in the roof. He said on Nov. 23, a community service officer observed several German Shepherds with fecal matter on their paws and then spoke with Heaton’s son Kyer. Police said Kyer told them the house had no heat source, the dogs urinated and defecated indoors, and that Kyer’s father did not want law enforcement entering the residence.

Based on this encounter, Brookings Police obtained and executed a search warrant on Dec. 3. The State’s Attorney said police found the home in an unsanitary condition with up to a foot of feces in some areas. Police reported thick cobwebs, heavy dust, and urine and feces covering the floor. Law enforcement said they found the residence had no heat, an unusable kitchen and bathroom, and structural damage from a prior fire.

Police said they removed five German Shepherds for a veterinary evaluation that found multiple signs of neglect and abuse, including gingivitis, broken teeth, malnourishment, sores and an ear abscess.

The State’s Attorney reports that Timothy Heaton said the animals were intermittently fed by his son but that Timothy himself acknowledged ownership of the residence and responsibility for the dogs. The State’s Attorney’s office said Heaton was arrested on five counts of Cruelty to Animals — a Class 6 felony, punishable by up to two years imprisonment and/or a four thousand dollar fine.