State-licensed nurse faces charges of animal neglect in Linn County

An eastern Iowa nurse who has worked for the state is facing animal neglect charges after police allegedly found two emaciated dogs, one already dead, on her property.

In April 2026, police applied for a search warrant at the Cedar Rapids property of 33-year-old Laura Brynn Stowe. In their application, the police cited concerns that four animals — a rottweiler named Ginger, a pitbull named Lex, a Yorkshire terrier named Macy and a cat named Stella — were being neglected or abused.

According to the warrant application, an animal control officer went to the property on April 21, saw there was a water-utility disconnect notice on the door, but was unable to contact Stowe, who was allegedly living in Iowa City at the time.

The following day, an animal control supervisor went to the property, heard a dog inside barking, and saw several sun-faded packages left on the porch of the house.

On April 23, an individual allegedly gave police photos she had taken through a sliding glass door to the Stowe property. According to police, the photos showed trash and animal feces covering most of the interior floor visible from the door. That same evening, the animal control supervisor returned to the house, but again was not able to locate or speak to Stowe.

On April 24, armed with a warrant, police entered the house and seized one rottweiler and one deceased terrier. The available court records make no mention of any other animals in the home at that time.

Two months later, the City of Cedar Rapids filed a civil petition against Stowe, asserting that police had obtained evidence, including a video, of a dog being abused by Stowe’s minor children. While it’s not clear from the available court records whether the dog at issue is the rottweiler the city had seized in April, the city sought the court’s permission to have the allegedly abused dog placed for adoption. The case was dismissed a short time later after Stowe agreed to relinquish ownership of the animal.

By that time, the Linn County Attorney’s Office had criminally charged Stowe with two counts of animal neglect resulting in serious injury or death.  Prosecutors alleged Stowe failed to provide food and water for the two dogs police had seized in April.

The deceased terrier “was malnourished to the point that officers could see its bone structure coming out of its skin,” prosecutors stated, and an examination indicated the dog had likely died of starvation.

The rottweiler “appeared to be malnourished and unfed for a significant period of time” and “the residence was covered in feces” while the dogs were left without access to food, water or suitable shelter, prosecutors alleged.

Stowe has pleaded not guilty to the two criminal charges. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 7, 2026. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Stowe for comment.

State records indicate Stowe is a licensed practical nurse who has worked for the state. In 2023, the Iowa Board of Nursing fined Stowe $400 and suspended her license for one month for failing to demonstrate completion of continuing-education requirements and failing to respond to board inquiries on the matter.

State records indicate that in the 2024-25 fiscal year, Stowe began working for the Iowa Department of Corrections as a nurse.