MOUNT VERNON — Roger Pederson was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to 30 days in jail, more than five years after his negligence resulted in the death of 70 of his cattle.
The 93-year-old Bay View man is also forbidden from owning, caring for or residing with any animal — a mandatory attachment to any animal cruelty conviction in the state.
At his sentencing hearing, Skagit County Superior Court Judge Brian Stiles also added $5,000 in fines in addition to a mandatory $1,000 fine attached to the conviction.
"What happened here was pretty egregious," he said. "The animals suffered significantly under the care of Mr. Pederson."
Pederson entered an Alford plea in mid-March to two counts of first-degree animal cruelty. The Alford plea means he does not admit guilt but believes it was likely a jury would have found him guilty.
Dead and sick cattle were found on Pederson's property in January 2018.
At the time of his arrest in July 2018, accounts from first responders show 150 cattle were given only enough feed for about 60. Many were described as weak, underweight, struggling and in poor health.
Veterinary and lab analyses determined many of the animals were suffering from nutritional deficiencies, parasites including lice and worms, illnesses including pneumonia, and atrophy of some organs, according to court documents.
At the sentencing, two people involved in the investigation testified as to what they saw when the animals were found in January 2018.
Emily Diaz, the county's animal control officer, said in her 18 years with the county she's never seen so many suffering animals.
She described seeing cattle so weak and malnourished that they couldn't stand. She said the animals would dig themselves into a hole as they tried to stand.
Diaz said this was happening at Pederson's primary residence, and was clearly visible.
"He just kept driving by while the animals kept paddling their legs and lifting their heads, until they couldn't paddle their legs or lift their heads anymore," she said.
"He is a man that simply does not care," she said.
Also testifying was former Sheriff Will Reichardt, who also worked the case.
"To say it was horrible is an understatement," he said. "I can't describe what the pictures clearly show."
Reichardt has also been among a group of demonstrators organized by the Humane Society of Skagit Valley that has appeared at each of Pederson's recent hearings.
Cristine Cameron, a demonstrator who is a former veterinarian, said before the sentencing that all she wanted was for Pederson to spend some time in jail.
"We just want to make a statement that it's not OK," she said. "You don't get to just go home, watch TV and pay a $1,000 fine."
Afterward, she said she was happy with the sentence.
Pederson faced similar charges in 2005, but was given a deferred sentence with no punishment. Demonstrators said they believe he's responsible for more than 300 dead cattle over the years.
As such, some of the demonstrators said 30 days is a laughably short sentence.
Beverly Mowrer said an animal's life matters, and taking it should be worth at least a day in jail.
"You do the math," she said. "Thirty days? That's not even a day for one 10th of those cows."
Before he was sentenced, Pederson addressed the court.
He said he did not abuse any animals, and continued to blame rainfall for conditions that made it impossible to care for his cattle.
Pederson said he was seeking a federal loan to pay for improvements to his property that would have improved conditions for the cattle.
He and his lawyer requested 30 days of home confinement, rather than jail time. Pederson cited medical conditions — which he did not disclose due to privacy concerns — that cannot be addressed in the jail.
Stiles said if that is the case, then the parties can schedule another court date to determine the next steps.
Finally, Pederson said that because his wife requires his help, sending him to jail would be undue punishment on her.
Stiles said the court will set a date for a restitution hearing by mid-summer, where the county will have an opportunity to recoup the cost of the investigation and of the care given to the sick cattle.
Pederson was facing fines from Skagit County Public Health for failing to bury dead carcasses in a timely manner.
However, Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erik Pedersen said the county has agreed to waive these fines if Pederson drops a federal lawsuit related to the case that he filed against Skagit County in 2021.
