Payton Baggett Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A group of citizens gathered at the Montgomery County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. on June 20 to voice their concerns about hearing of a local woman who was charged with animal cruelty earlier this month.
The woman, 29-year-old Nicole Hulbig, and her estranged husband were charged after four dead puppies were found inside their Clarksville home on June 4. Shortly after, a total of 39 living dogs and approximately 37 bags of decomposed animal remains were found in the barn at the Sumner County home of Hulbig’s mother.
Hulbig reportedly told authorities that she was running a rescue/service dog training program known as Raja Renata Ranch on her mother’s property.
One of those present at the courthouse was Heather Rousse, the mother of 4 year old girl with cerebral palsy who raised $750 for Hulbig to train her dog as a service animal. The cost was meant to pay to have the dog spayed, vaccinated, and certified, though Rousse says the training was never completed.
Ashley Vanwormer, an employee at Alicia’s Complete Holistic Petcare, was also at the gathering. She talked about clients who had put their dogs in Hulbig’s program, saying,“We work as hard as we can to rescue dogs and get them in the best shape they can be to get adopted, and for people to come along and take that trust that people have in us away, it’s just a sad story.”
Lawyers representing the Hulbigs attended the arraignment. Their trial has been schedueled for 1:30 p.m. on August 23.
The Facebook page for the group can be found here.
See photos from the gathering below: