Putnam authorities arrest banned puppy seller at Indy hearing

INDIANAPOLIS -- Putnam County authorities made a surprise visit to Wednesday's Marion County court proceedings for a local woman who was convicted of tax evasion in a Cloverdale puppy-selling operation.

The 47-year-old Cloverdale woman, Tammy Gilchrist, had been in Marion County to appear at a probation violation hearing Wednesday. She had been arrested July 15 in Danville, Ill., after failing to complete court-order public service at the Montgomery County Animal Welfare League in Crawfordsville.

Wednesday, after the court set a new hearing for Aug. 17, a Putnam County deputy intercepted Gilchrist as she made her way out of the courtroom, arresting her on an outstanding warrant for check deception.

She was lodged in the Putnam County Jail Wednesday afternoon.

No court date was immediately available in regard to the check deception case.

In January 2010, Gilchrist pleaded guilty to failing to collect and remit thousands of dollars in sales taxes to the Indiana Department of Revenue.

Her tax delinquency allowed the state to seize dozens of animals and shut down her Kritter Heaven puppy-breeding operation. Gilchrist is banned from breeding or selling any animals in Indiana by an injunction filed in the tax case.

As part of a plea agreement, Gilchrist was placed on probation for two years and ordered to serve 40 hours of community service by cleaning animal cages in Crawfordsville.

Gilchrist reportedly still faces an Owen County court judgment requiring her to pay more than $190,000 in back sales taxes, an amount that will continue to increase as the state adds interest.

Gilchrist reportedly has had more than 50 complaints lodged against her concerning the health of animals she offered for sale. She supposedly sold sick puppies, including some with parvovirus, ringworm or fleas.