Animal control supervisor implicated in large-scale puppy mill operation, police say

WARRICK COUNTY, Ind. (WFIE/Gray News) - A former supervisor at an Indiana animal control faces charges after being implicated in a large-scale puppy mill operation, authorities said.

Danielle Barnes was arrested in December on felony theft and drug possession charges

An affidavit shows additional charges have been filed against her: corrupt business influence, conspiracy to commit theft, official misconduct, ghost employment and misdemeanor theft.

A witness who spoke with Indiana State Police accuses Barnes of being in a multi-state puppy mill, transferring purebred dogs from the animal control to her nonprofit Warrick Animal Guardians and selling them.

Police also said Barnes used county resources on behalf of her nonprofit instead of using them for the Warrick County Animal Control.

According to an affidavit, she is accused of selling the animals on the East and West Coast, where people pay top dollar for purebred animals.

Officers also said she used county resources to vaccinate her nonprofit animals.

The witness reportedly implicated two other people, who had been investigated by Homeland Security for running numerous pyramid schemes and fraud involving animals.

In March, one of the witnesses was reportedly ordered by Barnes to pick up four dogs from an involved party and take them back to Warrick County Animal Control.

The affidavit states the dogs were vaccinated, chipped and then adopted by the nonprofit managed by Barnes.

Police said the witness told the trooper they took the dogs back and transferred them to the person who originally had them.

Indiana State Police said the dogs were then listed for sale on social media. Mutts were sent to other shelters for adoption, according to police.

Using the fair-market value of vet services on the animals, troopers allege that Barnes and the involved party stole at least $100,000 from Warrick County.

Police said a witness found that more animal control employees have fostered and or adopted hundreds of animals and appeared to be engaging in the same practice as Barnes.

One of the employees was Susan Broshears, who police say adopted or fostered 57 animals from the nonprofit Warrick Animal Guardians.

Police who reviewed Barnes’ timesheets and pointed out in the affidavit that she sold one of the animals while being paid by the county, termed ghost employment.

The witness told police Barnes worked for Warrick Animal Guardians regularly while on the clock for Warrick County, the report said.

According to the affidavit, Barnes was also accused of adding a $10 fee to all county spay and neuter services and pocketing the money.

The witness told police there were a large number of ketamine order forms missing, which are used to buy drugs and may have been forged by Barnes, the report says.

Barnes allegedly had numerous storage units full of drugs and vaccines paid for with county funds, according to the trooper.

State police reported that a large number of prescriptions had gone missing from the animal control.

The trooper says what was most concerning was the missing ketamine and Fatal Plus, which can kill humans as well as animals.

The affidavit stated a witness said they had seen drugs in her storage units and inside a refrigerator in her home’s basement.

According to records from Warrick County Animal Control, more than 1,000 animals had entered and left the facility during 2022 and 2023. When detectives examined adoption fee records, they discovered only a handful of fees being paid to the animal control. Most adoption fees were never deposited into its bank account.

Indiana State Police said they believe Barnes and Broshears collected adoption fee money and deposited it into a Warrick Animal Guardians account or used it for personal gain instead of depositing it into the animal control bank account.

A substantial amount of documentation tracking the money and donations received from the public were simply missing, the affidavit states.

After Barnes and Broshears were fired, police said adoption fees and other money significantly increased.

Both Barnes and Broshears have been arrested as a result of this investigation. Broshears was arrested Friday afternoon without incident. She was taken to the Warrick County Jail where she posted bond and was released.

Broshears was charged with official misconduct, ghost employment, conspiracy to commit theft and misdemeanor theft.

Indiana State Police said this is still an ongoing investigation, and an additional arrest is expected.

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