Ogden man pleads guilty to 38 charges in dog-hoarding case; 599 others dismissed

OGDEN — A man charged last year after investigators found 157 dogs and 11 cats in his home has pleaded guilty to 38 of the 637 charges he faced and received a suspended 180-day jail sentence.

Miguel Salgado Vargas, 73, was in court Wednesday when he entered the pleas, nearly a year after Ogden animal control officers led efforts to remove the animals from his home in the 3000 block of Jefferson Avenue. Thirty of the 38 charges were entered as pleas in abeyance, meaning those charges could potentially be dismissed after a certain time if he meets specific conditions.

In exchange for his pleas in Ogden Justice Court, 599 other charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal. Salgado received a suspended 180-day jail sentence and was fined $2,850, $2,010 of which was suspended. He must successfully complete two years probation with a range of terms to avoid imposition of the jail sentence and the suspended portion of the fine.

The 637 charges he originally faced were all class B misdemeanors, though two of the eight charges he pleaded guilty to were reduced to infractions.

A woman who launched an animal rescue operation, prodded by the dog hoarding case, had tough words about the plea bargain.

"I think that this is a slap on the wrist," said Lisa Peterson, who adopted one of the 157 dogs, which later died, and launched Dirt Roads Rescue to help rescue dogs in need. "What is to say that this isn't going to happen again?"

In 2012, Ogden authorities removed 149 dogs from Salgado's Jefferson Avenue home. He didn't face charges in the aftermath of that discovery.

Body-camera video from when investigators removed the dogs and cats on April 15 last year shows a multitude of animals in the house, mostly small dogs, sitting on seemingly every surface within range of the camera. Salgado relinquished ownership of the critters, and they were moved to Weber County Animal Services, the Humane Society of Utah and other rescue organizations for care and to be put up for adoption.

The charges lodged against Salgado included multiple counts of cruelty to animals, public nuisance for failing to properly maintain an animal, failing to get a rabies vaccination for an animal and maintaining an unlicensed animal. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to get a rabies vaccination for an animal and having an unlicensed animal, both infractions reduced from class B misdemeanors.

He also pleaded guilty to not having a kennel permit, three counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of maintaining a public nuisance, all class B misdemeanors.

According to terms of his probation, supplied by the Ogden City Prosecutor's Office, Salgado may not own pets, and he must submit to regular inspections by Ogden animal control officers. He must also write a letter to neighbors within a 50-yard radius of his home saying he is not allowed to have pets or animals.

"The letter shall inform the neighbors that they should call animal control if any pets are suspected on the property," according to information supplied by the prosecutor's office.

Salgado must also complete 336 hours of community service.

Per terms of the 30 pleas in abeyance, Salgado must comply with the varied terms of probation, with the exception of paying off court-ordered restitution, focus of a hearing on July 9. If he doesn't meet the terms of the pleas in abeyance, he could face fines and jail time on the 30 guilty pleas.

According to Utah state law, infractions are punishable by fines of up to $750, and class B misdemeanors are punishable by a maximum of up to six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.

Salgado's nephew, Ramon Aispuro Cano, 51, who also lived at the Jefferson Avenue home, faces 338 charges in the matter, all class B misdemeanors. He asked for a jury trial last month, and a pretrial conference is set for May 12, according to court records.

Contributing: Mike Anderson

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