Probation in case of cat abandonment

A couple who moved away without their pets, resulting in the death of five cats due to lack of food or water, were sentenced last month for their crimes, a combination of probation and fines.

Karlee Lynn Strum, 32, and Dominic James Welch, 28, moved from Cloquet to Arkansas in December 2023, but left seven cats behind without access to food or water. Four cats were dead by the time someone entered the apartment 18 days later. A fifth cat died the same day it was rescued and two cats were nursed back to health.

At the time, Strum and Welch were extradited from Arkansas to Minnesota and charged...