Protest Group Packs Courtroom for Fridley Woman's Hearing on Animal-Cruelty Charge

The Fridley woman in the March 24 death of a Chihuahua puppy appeared Thursday before an Anoka County district judge—and about two dozen people who came to urge her conviction.

Judge Donald J. Vennes set an Oct. 3 trial date for Holly C. Boyd, who according to the criminal complaint told Fridley police that she threw the weeks-old dog against a dresser inside her apartment. 

Assistant County Attorney Kurt Deile said plans to the statement police say they got from Boyd in prosecuting the case against her, barring a ruling in Boyd's favor on any defense motion related to police conduct. He said Boyd's attorney did not waive her right to file such a motion and has 30 days to do so.*

Boyd's public defender, Bradley Zunker, who briskly ushered Boyd in and and out of the courtroom, would not comment on the case.

The single charge of felony animal cruelty carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and fine of $10,000.

'Tired of Wringing Our Hands'
The protesters demonstrated outside the Anoka County courthouse beforehand then packed the courtroom for Boyd's hearing, where they said they obeyed a strict prohibition against displays of emotion.

Sheri Jackson of Plymouth said she organized the demonstrators through email and other online networks of animal-rights supporters and animal-rescue volunteers.

"This is to make the public know we're not going to sit back and let [animal abusers] get away with just a reprimand," Jackson said outside the courthouse. "We're tired of wringing our hands."

A Facebook page dedicated to urging that Boyd get the maximum penalty had nearly 500 "Likes" by Thursday and an active discussion of the case. An online petition had more than 2,000 names.

A dozen demonstrators said after the hearing that this was the first such organized protest they had attended.

Jackson said she had considered organizing a demonstration outside Boyd's apartment building but decided against it because it wasn't visible enough.

The hearing, scheduled for 1 pm. but delayed about 40 minutes, was over quickly. It was somewhat anticlimactic for the protesters who began gathering at the courthouse at 11:30 a.m. Lynn Gregory of Minnetonka said she was disappointed not to hear the charge against Boyd read aloud.

'I Don't Know Her'
Among the more tame of the protesters' signs was one that read "We Take Animal Abuse Very Serious."

Holding that sign after the hearing, Shayla Kaufman of Plymouth said she took issue with one of the group's chants that demanded authorities "lock her up and throw away the key."

"I don't know her," Kaufman said, adding that she believes society is too quick to imprison people. "She should get help."

*Editor's note: In an earlier version of this article, this sentence was missing a critical word: "not." To clarify, the assistant county attorney said Boyd's attorney did not waive the opportunity to file an omnibus motion raising issues of police conduct in the case.