Woman accused of hoarding ducks convicted on animal cruelty charges
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A New Hanover County woman who had about 150 ducks seized from her property last year was convicted on animal cruelty charges Wednesday.
Cynthia Huber was found guilty on four counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals after a two-day trial.
Huber was given a suspended 45-day sentence.
She also was sentenced to supervised probation for 12 months and can't possess animals. She was also ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and Adult Protective Services will review Huber and the care of her mother.
Huber also will have to pay the cost of court and restitution.
Those charges were dismissed on April 24 after a judge denied a motion by prosecutors to continue the case because some veterinarians needed to testify were unavailable. Since the motion was denied and the charges were misdemeanors, law enforcement had the option to refile the previous charges, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Those charges were refiled in May.
The New Hanover County Health Department also was brought in to inspect Huber's property due to the amount of animal waste that collected in a pond at the home, according to authorities.
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