Criminal, civil charges filed against Albuquerque dog trainer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — To all the pet owners and lovers out there…you might consider this a win.

KOB 4 has been following allegations against a local dog trainer, Lisa Berry, for about a month now. 

Law enforcement has been listening too. 

The City of Albuquerque filed criminal charges Monday, and the Attorney General’s office filed civil charges Friday.

“It seemed very concerning to us the amount of people that were complaining about Lisa Berry and her several businesses,” said Lauren Rodriguez, director of communications for the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. The criminal charges stem from animal welfare officers’ visit to her home in late January after a complaint from a neighbor. Officers found thirteen dogs at Lisa Berry’s home, without adequate shelter.

The report cites one very skinny dog with overgrown nails. Berry is facing seven petty misdemeanors in that case.

“We know that pets are family and anybody in our community whose abusing our family and unlawfully conducting business should be investigated,” said Rodriguez.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s office filed a civil suit including three counts against Duke City Dog Academy and Berry.

Two have to do with getting restitution for victims, and the third has to do with keeping Berry out of the pet business.

“We want to keep her from conducting business related to pets. And I think that is really the crux of this civil suit,” said Rodriguez. “This one really shows you the power of community. It shows you the power of people coming together using their platforms to voice these injustices done by this business and this person,” said Rodriguez. 

The Attorney General’s office is still investigating criminal aspects. If you’d like to file a complaint against Lisa Berry or Duke City Dog Academy, click here.