Former South Dakota State University Police Chief Tim Heaton appeared in Brookings County Magistrate Court Monday morning.
Heaton is charged with five felony counts of cruelty to animals following his arrest by Brookings police Nov. 23.
Tony Teesdale, Heaton’s attorney, requested a preliminary hearing, and Judge Bob Pesall granted the request. The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 9.
Cruelty to animals is a Class 6 felony and carries a punishment of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $4,000. Heaton was charged Dec. 30.
According to a probable cause statement released by the Brookings County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Brookings Police Department received complaints of neglected animals at a residence owned by Heaton at 1008 Third St. in Brookings.
During an investigation, officers reported finding piles of feces up to 1 foot deep in some areas of the house, according to the documents. They also found cobwebs, frozen water pails and structural damage to the house from a previous fire. The residence had no heat, and the thermostat reading was 10 degrees.
The arresting officer said the conditions inside the house were “unsafe for human or animal habitation.”
Heaton resigned his position at SDSU effective Jan. 1. The university named Michael Kilber as interim chief of the University Police Department. Kilber has been serving in that position since Dec. 5.
Correction: The conditions surrounding Heaton’s employment at South Dakota State University was incorrectly stated in this story, which was published Jan. 5, 2026. Heaton notified the university of his intent to resign last week.
Jeannette Howell • Jan 6, 2026 at 9:57 am
The man is mentally sick. Needs to be in institution both for his own protection as well as others & animals How does a person live in filth & not realize something is not right? Who or what will his next victims be? We are unfortunate to have so many hateful people in our country. I blame people like Donald Trump who breeds & preaches hate and weak people bend to his crazy ideas
Robert Howell • Jan 6, 2026 at 6:27 am
Here in Iowa, we are all to familiar with animal cruelty. Numerous puppy mill operators, continue to skirt industry practices and show no regard for Iowa’s inadequate laws protecting animals. During court cases that do go to trial, all to often, the case is plead, and sentencing is minimal, and certainly not enough to prevent many of the same mill operator’s from re-offending. Only when the behaviors of the responsible parties are held accountable for practices that would see parental rights taken away by the courts, if the victims we were trying to protect were, minor children, can we begin to fix this problem. I hope that as much as this alleged perpetrator’s loss of his job and the subsequent conviction of the crimes he is charged with, will further set the example for all those individuals who are currently responsible for, or considering animal welfare in their businesses or or homes, will re-think the cruelty which others in their communities knowingly beset upon these animals. And, where-ever you are, if you want a companion animal to love and truly care for, please contact your nearest animal rescue shelters. Our families have adopted and loved numerous pets over the past 35 years, some of which were the direct result of animal abuse by human monsters. And if you are unable to adopt or foster, give what you can to support the care of all God’s creatures, even the ones that no wants.