Flemming sentenced to six months in jail on misdemeanor charge

By Kim McDarison

Editor’s note: this story has been updated. 

Tammy Flemming, the Fort Atkinson dog trainer who was found guilty of the mistreatment of animals after the death of a dog in her care, was sentenced today on a misdemeanor charge. 

Flemming was sentenced to six months in jail, to be served consecutively to any other sentence, through the Huber/work release program. 

Additionally, she has been ordered to pay restitution to the victim, Lindsey Davidson, of $3,636.75, according to information presented on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website. 

Davidson, Janesville, was the owner of “Cooper,” an 8-month-old husky mix, who died in 2020. 

Flemming also was ordered to pay $443 in court costs and a DNA surcharge. 

The court credited Flemming with 67 days toward her sentence for time served. 

Further, the court stipulated that Flemming may not train any type or species of animal for a period of one year, commencing Dec. 8. 

The court also noted that a judgement of $5,000 has already been entered against the defendant in another case. 

The defendant was ordered to begin serving her sentence Dec. 8, adding that failure to comply with any of its stipulations will result in the immediate loss of serving her time trough the Huber/work release program. 

Davidson, who, on Thursday, told Fort Atkinson Online in a telephone interview that she appeared in court, noted that she was able to make a witness statement in the courtroom. 

Within her statement, she said, she asked that Flemming be given the maximum penalty for the misdemeanor crime of negligence/mistreatment of an animal. 

Davidson’s attorney, Dan Jardine, confirmed Thursday by email that Flemming did receive the maximum penalty for that crime of six months in jail. 

Davidson said she did not feel as though justice was served by the sentence Flemming received. 

“It’s been a long two years. I feel like she got a slap on the hand when Cooper lost his life.” 

The sentencing hearing lasted more than an hour, she said. 

While Flemming did make a statement in court, Davidson said she did not feel as though the defendant took responsibility for her actions. 

“I would have preferred a felony charge and that she not train dogs for a long time, and not without proper training for her to train dogs,” she said.

Jardine wrote: “Lindsey may be disappointed in … the one-year prohibition on Ms. Flemming training dogs. The statute allows for five years. That said, it appears that Ms. Flemming’s days of training dogs are over, not just based upon her statement today in court, but from what people have learned about her and her methods and treatment of dogs. The Jefferson County DA’s office did charge Ms. Flemming with a felony charge, but the jury did not convict on that charge, going instead on the lesser-included charge of negligent/mistreatment of an animal.” 

Said Davidson: “I’m going to try and put this behind me, but I still miss him (Cooper) everyday. I was not expecting it, but it would have been nice for someone to take responsibility for their actions.” 

In a statement released on her Facebook page, Davidson wrote: “I don’t feel that justice was served. Tammy disrespected the court several times by not showing up to court and also went to Illinois without permission and was extradited back to Wisconsin.”

She wrote that her decision to leave Cooper in Flemming’s care will “haunt me for life.” 

Davidson told Fort Atkinson Online that she felt a good outcome of the process was that, while she did her homework before choosing a trainer for her dog, she hopes others will learn from her experience the importance of researching their options before placing a pet in a trainer’s care.

Jardine, too, sharing a statement, writing: “There is nothing that can be done to bring back the lives of Lindsey Davidson’s and the Petersons’ dogs, Cooper and Marley, but due to Lindsey’s and the Petersons’ persistence, the danger to others’ dogs has been stopped.  During sentencing today, Tammy Flemming regrettably put the blame on everyone but herself. However, that may have been her undoing, because the judge sentenced her to the maximum jail sentence allowed while pointing out her ‘total’ lack of acceptance of responsibility for the dogs’ deaths. She’ll now have many months in a jail cell to think about it.” 

An earlier story about this case, including information about the trial, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/jury-finds-fort-dog-trainer-guilty-of-cruelty/. 

This story has been updated.