By Martin Luttrell

A mother and daughter accused of several counts of animal cruelty over conditions at their Mendon barn were sentenced Thursday to 18 months in the county jail, which will be suspended as long as they meet probation conditions and not get charged with any new criminal offenses.

Elizabeth M. Bonner,  56, and Julia S. Bonner, 24, of Oxford had been charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty. Those charges resulted from an MSPCA investigation alleging that four dogs, four horses, three birds, six goats and two zebus (a south Asian breed of cattle) were seized after finding evidence of neglect and lack of food and care at 106 Millville St. in Mendon.

Elizabeth Bonner was further charged with five counts relating to dog tethering and operating an unlicensed kennel, all of which were dismissed after oral arguments by her attorney, David Albert.

Julia Bonner was additionally charged with assault and battery on a public employee. She was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail, but was credited with time served while being held prior to Thursday’s hearing in Milford.

Previous charges of animal cruelty brought in Stoughton and Dudley district courts were settled with pretrial probation and a guilty finding, respectively. Another case is currently pending in Attleboro District Court.

In a separate case in Uxbridge District Court, Julia Bonner was found guilty earlier this month of assault and battery on animal control officers Kevin Sullivan and Susan Banner and Sullivan’s wife, Alisha, at the Blackstone Valley Regional Animal Shelter. Ms. Bonner became enraged when Sullivan declined to return four dogs he had seized because of unpaid fines and because the Bonners did not have a kennel license, required for the number of dogs on the Mendon property. 

The animal control officers had been called to the property multiple times since the Bonners moved there in June 2025 because of complaints that their dogs, horses, cows and other animals were loose and running in the road. 

On Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Dan Guerra described horses and goats being underweight and insufficient hay on the floor where the animals were kept.

“The conditions were deplorable. The pictures speak for themselves,” he said. “There was garbage and dog feces on the floor.”

Guerra went on to say that the many cases brought in various court jurisdictions formed what he termed a “large machine.”

“Each charge is a cog. … They have had difficulty staying out of court,” he said.

After animals were seized in the Stoughton and Mendon cases, the courts ordered the mother and daughter not to obtain any new animals, which they were found to have violated each time.

By November 2025, all 19 animals had been seized from the Mendon property. Goats and zebus were found to be underweight and suffering from ringworm, lice, frostbite and overgrown hooves. A Dec. 16 2025 inspection showed several horses with “wolf teeth,” requiring extraction.

As of August of this year, the MSPCA had incurred a total of $106,200 for daily care of the animals. Thursday’s court proceeding did not address how that expense would be recouped.

Guerra requested that the court impose a sentence of 2 ½ years of jail time, with one year to serve and the balance suspended.

Defense attorney Abigail Kalahar, representing Julia Bonner, argued that the conditions described by ACO Sullivan did not meet the level of probable cause for some of the charges, saying that there is always some manure where horses are kept, and that feed and water were always available.

“Ms. Bonner was doing all she thought she had to do to take care of her animals,” Kalahar told the court. “There was no intentional action not to feed or care for the animals.”

Judge Richard Eustis dismissed three of the animal cruelty counts following the motion hearing.

Kalahar acknowledged that there was a larger issue, and that mental health and poverty were factors in the series of criminal complaints.

“She is ready to abide by the conditions of the court,” she said, referring to Julia Bonner.

In accepting their guilty pleas, Judge Eustis stipulated that the mother and daughter have three years of supervised probation, no contact with ACOs Sullivan and Banner, that each take the Benchmark Animal Rehabilitative Curriculum online course designed to inspire change in attitudes and actions toward animals in individuals who have mistreated them, and that Julia continue her mental health treatment.

At the conclusion of the court proceeding Kalahar told Mendon Commons that the Bonners would have no comment.

MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement Director Chris Schindler thanked Mendon Police for their assistance, as well as the Worcester County District Attorney’s office for their work on the case.

“This kind of interagency collaboration is integral in our work toward ensuring the safety of all animals in Massachusetts,” he said, in an emailed statement. “We’re heartened to see animal cruelty being taken seriously in courts and, while we recognize that there’s still far to go, we’ve come a long way in being able to secure justice for animals like those involved here.

“I’m grateful to the many people within our organization who helped in this case — from our law enforcement officers who did the investigation and removed the animals, to our staff attorney who helped ensure their safety by gaining custody of them, and the barn and shelter staff who’ve showed them the love and kindness they deserve.”

Photo top of page: Julia Bonner faces Milford District Court Judge Richard Eustis on Thursday (Martin Luttrell).