ALMOST HEAVEN-WEEPING KENNEL OWNER HAULED OFF TO JAIL

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Ex-Kennel Owner Sentenced; Bail Revoked

Derbe Eckhart: "I'm A Broken Man."

Matt Roth | Web Producer

Posted: 11:49 am EDT May 18, 2010Updated: 12:19 pm EDT May 18, 2010

 

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- A former kennel owner convicted of animal cruelty is now in jail.

A judge today revoked Derbe Eckhart's bail and sentenced him to six to 23 months behind bars.

He'll then serve three years probation.

Eckhart, who owned the Almost Heaven Kennel in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, broke down in tears on the witness stand as he pleaded with the judge to spare him any time in jail

"I'm a broken man," said Eckhart. "My heart is broken because of the loss of my animals, the loss of my career that I have lived for 25 years."

In March, a jury convicted Eckhart of two counts of animal cruelty and acquitted him of four other counts.

Prosecutors said Eckhart neglected hundreds of animals and kept them in deplorable conditions.

Eckhart's lawyers have said Eckhart had good intentions, but got in over his head.

"I took on too much," said Eckhart.

Eckhart is appealing his conviction.

 

 

Weeping kennel owner hauled off to jail

 

Derbe "Skip" Eckhart, the former dog kennel owner convicted of animal cruelty charges in March, was hauled off to jail this morning.

Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg sentenced Eckhart to six months to 23 months in Lehigh County Prison.

He was also ordered to serve three years of probation following his jail sentence and was ordered not to own or possess any animals, besides the pets he already has, for the next four years and 11 months.

Weeping, Eckhart begged Steinberg not to send him to jail.

"Please do not incarcerate me, you're honor," he said, breathing heavily and wiping his eyes. "I have learned my lesson. My business is gone. My way of life is gone."

Eckhart told the judge he's saved thousands of homeless dogs and his main problem was never turning one away.

"I know I let my love of animals get out of control and I took on too many animals," he said.

Steinberg said Eckhart does have some redeeming qualities, but has continued to violate animal laws even following a jail term in 1988 for cruelty to animals and subsequent convictions.

A jury found Eckhart guilty of give misdemeanor crimes: two animal-cruelty counts and three counts of violating a cease and desist order that barred him from taking new dogs into his Almost Heaven Kennel in Upper Milford Township.

Steinberg found Eckhart guilty of more than a dozen summary offenses, most of which were related to kennel upkeep

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

TWO COUCH POTATOS

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

OMG, now I am truly sick to my stomach. What an amazing spirit Finnegan must have. How does a dog endure something as horrific as this and still retain the capacity to love...we have so much to learn about strength of "character" from dogs like Finn.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

What a LOVE Finn is. He has such an amazing life now - I hope he can't remember the Almost Heaven Hell where he spent his first years, same thing goes with Blake and all the other survivors!

And cheers to the DRC for helping to save so many doods in this same position.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Both Lynne and I were really reluctant to let Finn go...lol......We received so many applications for him ..........He really needed and deserved (as they all do) nothing less than the MOST EXCEPTIONAL home...Helen was that home...... She was the first and only choice........

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

It's been confirmed that the dog on the far right in the AH photo below taken during the raid in 2007 is indeed young Finn. His name was Scooby when he was at AH and he was used as a breeding male.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Wow. What a survivor! Thank you Helen for making him so happy ;) And to Jacquie and the DRC team for all you do.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

I think this creep should have gotten ten years in prison. He knew what he was doing and hasn't learned any lesson. Guys like this will keep doing the same thing as long as they can find someone to buy the dogs. I hope someone in prison treats him the way he treated the dogs in his care.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Could we put a wire floor in the cell and make Eckhart go barefoot. He can just pee and poo on the 'floor and let it all fall through. Oh yea, he can sleep on it too!

[Debbie and Thomas]

He even looks like such a sleezy guy! I am so happy that the court recognizes the importance of this case of cruelty to animals. Perhaps it will have some affect on others like him.