A town of Lakeside woman who allegedly left the decaying carcass of a cow on her property for months made her initial appearance in Douglas County Circuit Court on June 12.
Lyla Mae McJaast, 64, faces one count of timely disposition of carcasses. The misdemeanor carries a maximum fine of $1,000. McJaast was released on a $1,000 signature bond and ordered to timely dispose of any carcasses on her property and keep all animals and livestock on her property. Her next appearance is set for Sept. 10.
According to the complaint, Sgt. Jake Engelman was called to the area for a report of McJaast's cows loose on the road and in neighbors' property.
One neighbor asked Engelman if he had seen the dead cow on McJaast's property. The sergeant found a rotting carcass of a cow and the partial skeleton of a calf halfway out of the adult cow. One neighbor said the cow died in April.
Property owners can't leave a carcass they are aware of exposed and accessible to wild animals or dogs for more than 24 hours between April and November or 48 hours from December to March, according to the statute.
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Also July 12, McJaast pleaded no contest to two ordinance violations of animals running at large for incidents June 6 and 7 and fined a total of $1,450.
In June 2017, McJaast also pleaded no contest to two counts of animals running at large, according to court records.
