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)]

Thank you Jane!....Blake was always a wonderful boy He was a sweetie from day one.....The work was in getting him well........Truth is he chose me.....I was looking for a great big female the day I went to the shelter after the raid....I came home with what looked like a skinny, malnourished "drowned rat dog" (according to my Dad who called him"the ugliest dog I have ever seen")...lol Of course I told my Dad what a sweet, good natured boy Blake was and I told him all about where he had come from. I said "You wait Dad...He's going to be absolutely beautiful once he's healthy and his coat grows back"...Now my Dad can't get enough of his grand dog!...

As for DRC...Thank you for your words of encouragement and praise......I can take no personal credit....DRC is truly a group effort .....We're a collective of some incredibly dedicated individuals...All are volunteers.....Many are members here on DK....It's because of DK that DRC even exists.....We couldn't do what we do without our volunteers and our DK family.

[Carol and Banjo]

Blake is beautiful!!!! These photos say it all.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I hope his prision cell is the size of the tiny cages he forced the dogs into and that he has to walk on wires with barefeet all day like they did. My dark side is coming out.... I need to stop now!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I hope he doesn't get the chance to "take on" ANY animals when he gets out. I am glad he is at least locked up for now.

[Dr. Judith P. LaVorgna]

I wish they had a special kind of jail with wire floors and flies, dried bowls of old food, and lots of poopies dangling from the cages molding on the ground below. No human contact, and fleas galore. It could be called, "Almost Hell" and it wouldn't be good enough for him. He appears too young to have lost his morale compass...or, maybe he was born without one. When I watched the Petland program last night it dawned on me no prison may be large enough to hold all of these brutalizers...and that was only one geographic area...multiply that and we have a national disgrace. One Doodle at a time, ten puppymillers at a time.

[Helen&Finnegan]

YAY! So glad he's in jail. Finnegan is another Almost Heaven survivor...here's a picture from Saturday at Sandy Hook bay beach with my nephew and Finn. Note Finn's fancy new life jacket - he can swim now (or at least float)! Which means I don't have to worry about throwing the tennis ball out too deep in the water.....it's hard to believe that Finnegan turned out so wonderful when he spent the first two years of his life in that awful place. Finn is really enjoying the spring - not too hot to spend lots of time at the beach which is his favorite place (as long as we bring a tennis ball)!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

I love this picture Helen! Finn is THE BEST DOG of ALL TIME!!!......Blake and I still miss that Finny boy!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

[Leslie and Halas]

Finn lost a leg at Almost Heaven, didn't he?

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Yes....He was attacked by a pack of starving dogs and you can only imagine what happened next once they tasted blood........That poor dog experienced such horrors.....Yet, he is literally the GREATEST dog of all time inspite of all that he experienced and endured.

[Helen&Finnegan]

He really is the greatest dog of all time. My aunt is staying with me - she can't get over how well-mannered and good he is although she is a little hurt that he prefers to sleep upstairs on the landing for most of the day instead of hanging out with her downstairs. He eventually makes his way downstairs to play ball and go out but he loves his sleep! I was laughing at the discussion post about how long everyone's dogs sleep.....my sister calls him the "sloth" because he is so lazy.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

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