A shocking case of animal cruelty against a west coast woman remains on hold as she tries to secure a lawyer.

Fifty-year-old Michelle Young faces 44 criminal charges of causing “unnecessary pain, suffering or injury” to more than a dozen farm animals, mostly goats.

A complaint led RCMP to her property in Heatherton, a few kilometers north of Robinsons, in April of 2022. There they found the animals either dead, starving or unable to walk.

Young was first charged a year later but the case has experienced a number of delays since then, most recently involving her attempts to retain counsel.

In Stephenville Provincial Court this afternoon, she told the judge she now has an appointment with a lawyer, but not until mid-December.

The judge thanked Young for the update and promptly set the case for a few days later, on December 19th.