NAME: Lillian Billewicz, 56 and Brian Deistler, 25 WHERE: Putney, Vermont CRIME: State asks court to free animals from Santas Land The state has scheduled a court hearing to ask a judge to order the forfeiture of all of the animals that were seized at Santas Land on August 31. Santas Land owner Lillian Billewicz is scheduled to appear in Windham Superior Court Criminal Division on Nov. 20 to answer to the states request to release the 42 animals that have been in custodial care since Windham County Sheriff deputies and Putney officials removed the animals from the Route 5 theme park. Calls to Billewicz were not answered Thursday. Billewicz, 56, and her employee Brian Deistler, 25, are facing charges of animal cruelty following a five month investigation by the Sheriffs Department, which was tracking the conditions of the animals at Santas Land. After care of the animals continued to decline the Windham County Sheriffs Department obtained a search warrant, which included authority to seize the animals. Two ponies, three donkeys, two peacocks, eight goats, one emu, one pheasant, one llama and 24 fallow deer were removed from Santas Land. In a motion filed on Oct. 22, Windham County States Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver said the animals have been housed with individuals and non-profit organizations. The Windham County Humane Society is paying for the feed for the animals, and in her motions Shriver said, the responsibility for the care and shelter of the seized animals will present a financial burden to the individuals and agencies currently sheltering them. Shriver also argues that while Billewicz will be ordered to repay all costs associated with caring for the animals, her financial liability will be minimized if the animals are turned over to their new owners. Shriver said the animals must remain in custodial care until a court orders their release. Windham County Sheriff Cpl. Melissa Martin visited Santas Land throughout July and August, and in an affidavit said she found the animals there living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions. On the last day before the animals were seized the bucks water pail was dry and there was a nail protruding from the side of its shelter. The llamas shelter also had feces piled one foot high and Martin told Billewicz and Deistler that she would be seizing the animals.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 20:46:20 +0000