Canton Woman Accused of Animal Cruelty Gets Continuance

A Canton woman who was charged with animal cruelty July 5 after police allegedly found 40 mistreated dogs in her Center Street apartment was given a continuance Wednesday in Hartford Community Court.

Jessica Yazmer, 28, of 14 Center St. in Canton, also retained an attorney who took part in legal efforts to prevent the execution of serial killer Michael Ross.

Yazmer was rescheduled for arraignment Aug. 17 on one count of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor. An assistant community court clerk said Judge Raymond R. Norko was notified by a letter from Yazmer that requested the continuance.

The case against Yazmer created widespread notoriety after , according to officials.

Her attorney, according to court records, is Jon L. Schoenhorn of Hartford, who represented the father of serial killer and rapist Michael Ross in the wide-ranging attempts to halt his execution in 2005. Ross was executed May 13, 2005.

Schoenhorn, a UConn Law School graduate, is a veteran civil and criminal defense lawyer who also specializes in First Amendment law. He is a former president of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, according to his website.

Canton police were called to Yazmer’s apartment on a report of a dog fight. An initial examination by Beverly LaPlume, the animal control officer for Canton and Avon, indicated the dogs were underfed and dehydrated. She described the conditions as the worst in her experience.

The dogs included beagles, Australian shepherds, pit bulls and a golden retriever. They were to Cherry Brook Kennels and Roaring Brook Kennels in Canton, police said.

Some of the dogs, including puppies, were treated for worms and other diseases, officials said. They survived, including four cats, and were available for adoption through the Simon Foundation in Bloomfield.

Yazmer, a 2001 Simsbury High School graduate, apparently is connected to a Collinsville-based organization that rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the South, according to websites.

On July 7, the Canton building department declared the apartment unfit for human occupancy. was described by an employee for the landlord – Collinsville Associates – as “the grossest thing I’ve ever seen.”