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On Saturday, Vermont law enforcement officials nabbed a former Baxter County woman who's been on the run for the past 3 1/2 years.

Tammy Christine Hanson, 42, was arrested Saturday afternoon in Sutton, Vt., by Caledonia County Sheriff Michael Bergeron, Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery told The Bulletin Sunday.

Hanson and her husband, William Henry Hanson, 44, have been fugitives since they failed to appear February 2006 for sentencing on multiple counts of animal cruelty in court in Baxter County.

The Hansons had been operating a so-called animal sanctuary — Every Dog Needs a Home — in Gamaliel when Montgomery discovered nearly 600 animals were being housed in "deplorable conditions" in October 2005. Montgomery seized the sanctuary and arrested both Hansons.

The case gained national attention because of the size of the operation and because many of the animals had been rescued from the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

The Hansons absconded after their Baxter County convictions and following additional felony charges being filed in Lawrence County, Mo., alleging multiple counts of theft of animals.

The Hansons had been living in Vermont under assumed names — Christine and Henry Miller — when Bergeron got a tip that Christine Miller was in fact Tammy Hanson and was listed on the Baxter County Sheriff's "Most Wanted" list on its Web site, according to Montgomery.

Thursday, Baxter County, Lawrence County, and Caledonia County officials worked together to develop information leading up to Saturday's arrest, Montgomery said.

Tammy Hanson is slated to appear for arraignment and bond hearing today at Caledonia County Court. Montgomery is in Vermont to testify at the hearing, he told The Bulletin.

No information is available on William Hanson.

Animal problems go back for years

In finding the couple guilty in the Baxter County cases, Judge Van Gearhart said there was overwhelming evidence the Hansons were guilty. As part of his ruling, Gearhart ordered the Hansons not to own any pets. It is not known whether any pets were found on the Vermont property at the time of Tammy Hanson's arrest.

"We have pursued dozens of leads of possible locations and sightings," Montgomery told The Bulletin in October 2007, as he continued to search for the couple.

When officers entered the Gamaliel compound in October 2005, they found hundreds of dogs in what were characterized as deplorable conditions. Deputies and volunteers from the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas found dogs lying in their own feces and urine in small cages. Some of the dogs were injured; others were dead. All appeared abused and neglected.

"The local Humane Society stepped in when it first happened, " Montgomery said. "They were a lifesaver for us."

Volunteers were brought in from across the United States and dogs were eventually taken to other shelters across the country. The Humane Society of the United States, which was granted control of the dogs, spent more than $140,000 in the cleanup operation and in the care and adoption process.

"It was an emotional time as well," Montgomery said. "Our officers and the staff and volunteers could see the abuse the animals had taken."

The Baxter County incident wasn't the first time the Hansons had been in trouble because of a large number of dogs. Kansas City, Mo., media reported in 2003 that the Hansons were investigated in Belton, Mo., where they were living at the time, for housing 80 dogs in and around the home. Charges were never brought against the couple.