A new trial date has been set for Melissa Sanders, accused in the deaths last year of nearly 30 dogs she bred or boarded on property near Columbia.
Her five-day trial is now scheduled to start April 26 in Boone County Circuit Court.
A five-day jury trial was scheduled to start Oct. 19, after an earlier trial date in April of this year was also canceled. Sanders’ attorney Isaac Dodd told Circuit Judge Joshua Devine he needed more time to prepare.
On Monday, Dodd told Devine he believes they have “nearly reached the finish line” with their discovery and gathering witnesses for their case.
Sanders is facing 14 charges of animal abuse tied to a dog breeding and boarding business she owned where the dogs were found starving, tortured or strangled.
She was arrested after animal control officers raided the facility last November. Her business, named Magnum Opus German Shepherds, had mostly German shepherds, but some dogs were mixed breeds.
Sanders has been in jail since her Nov. 13, 2025, arrest and has filed for bond to be released a number of times without success. In a recent court document, the court was told that Sanders knew it was highly likely she would continue to be incarcerated without bond until her trial is held.
In January, her former attorney, Andrew Russek, filed a request for a speedy trial on behalf of Sanders. The request was granted, and the trial was set to begin in late April.
Days before the trial began, Russek told the judge he was not ready. Sanders then rejected a plea deal, and the trial was set for October.
Sanders faces one misdemeanor and 13 felony counts of animal abuse involving nearly 30 dogs. If convicted on all counts, she could face up to 53 years in prison.
A pre-trial conference is now set for March 8.
Source: www.komu.com
