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Town of Mukwonago horse breeder faces new felony charges

By and
Published  April 21, 2026 4:57pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Horse breeder faces new felony charges

Horse breeder faces new felony charges

A Town of Mukwonago horse breeder is facing new felony charges. Prosecutors charged 70-year-old Ralinda Howard with two separate counts of felony bail jumping.

The Brief

    • Ralinda Howard faces two felony counts of bail jumping for violating court orders regarding animal possession.
    • Police found multiple animals, some lacking food and water, on Howard's property despite a prior court-ordered ban on animal ownership.
    • A court commissioner set a $500 cash bond for the animal-related charge and a $5,000 signature bond for the witness contact violation.

MUKWONAGO, Wis. - A Town of Mukwonago horse breeder is facing new felony charges. On Tuesday, April 21, prosecutors charged 70-year-old Ralinda Howard with two separate counts of felony bail jumping. 

Ralinda Howard

Town of Mukwonago police got a new search warrant. Howard is not supposed to have any animals on her property. 

Neighbor called police

What we know:

When Patrice Pilak heard a dog bark on her neighbor's property on Monday, she called police. 

"I don’t know how they can let her slide off of this. I really don’t," Pilak said. 

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Howard is under court order to have no animals. When Town of Mukwonago police arrived, they found three dogs, three puppies and two cats. Investigators said the dogs were in Howard's basement; two of them had no access to food or water. 

The backstory:

In fall 2025, former employees notified police about conditions and treatment of horses and dogs on Howard's property. 

Town of Mukwonago police issued more than 40 citations, and prosecutors filed criminal charges after investigators found 11 guns in Howard's house. 

Howard is a convicted felony stemming from a 2011 conviction for misappropriation of identifying information. Howard maintains her innocence. 

Ralinda Howard

Howard was also ordered to have no contact with the whistle-blower, Lisa Vega. Police say Howard violated that order too, and admitted to sending Vega a letter in the mail in March. 

Animals found on property

What's next:

Town of Mukwonago police turned the dogs and cats found on Monday over to HAWS. 

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A court commissioner set Howard's cash bond at $500 for the bail jumping case involving animals. He ordered a $5,000 signature bond for the bail jumping case involving the letter. 

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and previous FOX6 News coverage. 

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