LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – A northwestern Indiana judge has stripped a dog breeder of his ownership of seven dogs rescued over the winter from a filthy, unheated barn.

The Tippecanoe County judge also on Tuesday fined Thurman “Randy” Sanders Jr. $10,000 for violating numerous ordinances at his rural Stockwell farm.

Veterinarian Heather Baker told the judge the seven border colliers rescued in February from the barn were emaciated, covered in feces, infested with parasites and had a host of maladies.

The Journal & Courier reports (http://on.jconline.com/1GkXvPK ) that the judge allowed Sanders to keep one border collie, but barred him from breeding that dog.

David Barnes, one of Sanders' friends, defended him during Tuesday's hearing and disputed that the dogs were in poor condition when they were rescued from the farm.