Backlash over Winona dog seizure

WINONA — The SPCA of East Texas and Smith County Constable Josh Joplin are receiving backlash over the recent seizure of 38 dogs and the arrests of two people in Winona. According to our news partner KETK, a local property started as an animal rescue. But authorities say when they arrived, they found the animals suffering from such problems as fleas, puncture wounds, and heartworms. Tina Loper, 53, and Eric Morris, 55, were charged with eight counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, with one dog dead and another’s condition deemed severe. Now the SPCA says it has been the target of “derogatory and inflammatory rumors” surrounding the incident, with some people claiming the seizure was unwarranted. Joplin and the SPCA are defending their actions, with Joplin saying they were taken “with a lot of thought put into it.”