A Roggen woman will complete three years of supervised probation and 10 days of jail time for hoarding 174 dogs on her property.
Marie Alvarado, 56, of Roggen appeared before Weld Judge John Briggs for a sentencing hearing Friday morning in Weld District Court.
Weld County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Alvarado in May 2023 on suspicion of 174 counts of animal cruelty charges for allegedly hoarding 174 dogs on her Roggen property. Alvarado, who posted a $2,000 bond the day after her arrest, pleaded guilty to the animal cruelty charges on Dec. 8, 2023, according to online court records.
Before entering his ruling on Friday, Briggs called Alvarado’s case the “most extreme situation of neglect” he has ever seen during his time as a judge.
Animal control officers investigated the property where the dogs were living in uninhabitable conditions. Deputy District Attorney Dustin Funk painted a picture for the court on Friday of these conditions: feces everywhere, no running water and no outside time.
The prosecutor accused Alvarado of continuously lying about how many dogs she had on the property. He argued the dogs were treated with no love, further detailing that two dogs were found with holes in their mouths, and two dogs were put down as a result of the uninhabitable home.
Funk requested a 174-day sentence for Alvarado — one day for every dog she owned. Jessica Meza, Alvarado’s defense attorney asked Briggs to grant her a probation sentence.
The probation department recommended a probation sentence in this case as well, indicating Alvarado has a minimum risk of recidivism and no prior criminal offenses, Briggs said Friday.
In addition to two letters family members submitted to the court on Alvarado’s behalf asking for a probation sentence, her sister stepped up to testify about Alvarado’s battle with mental health.
Alvarado, who has worked in the judicial system for 19 years, has lived in Roggen since birth. Her sister, who lived in the same house as Alvarado at the time of her arrest, called the conditions “unacceptable.” However, the situation spun out of control due to “a deep sense of loss and depression,” the sister shared during sentencing on Friday.
Alvarado’s sister said Alvarado experienced the loss of her mother and a sister, which led to the disintegration of their once tight-knit family. After these losses, Alvarado’s home filled with loneliness, no longer receiving calls or visits.
Alvarado began hoarding dogs because she didn’t have enough money to spray and neuter all of her dogs, who kept reproducing until it became “out of control,” Meza said.
Due to the grief, Alvarado has been struggling with her mental health, according to her sister and Meza. Alvarado began receiving treatment and started medication for a hoarding disorder diagnosis.
“I did not know I was hurting my dogs,” Alvarado said in a statement read by her lawyer on Friday. “I pray you can understand my situation.”
Meza pointed out Alvarado also lived in the same unhabitable conditions as her dogs, sleeping in a bed covered in dog urine and feces. She also indicated her client provided so much food for the dogs that she often didn’t eat anything herself.
“I feel lucky she’s still alive,” Meza said.
The dogs on Alvarado’s property were all removed from the home and underwent intake and examinations. Most were placed up for adoption in shelters thanks to the help of multiple agencies.
Alvarado currently resides with her sister and owns four dogs, which the state monitors regularly to ensure they remain in good care, according to Meza. Alvarado’s arrest has helped rebuild a strong support system within her family.
Briggs endeavored to strike a balance between Meza and Funk’s requests for this “emotional case,” imposing three years of supervised probation with 10 days of work release jail time for Alvarado.
He also ordered Alvarado to complete 48 hours of community service and pet ownership training, as well as continue her mental health treatment.
“I do wish you the best of luck,” Briggs said to Alvarado in closing.
