Myler was taken to the county jail and was being held there early today on a $6,620 bond.
Village Police Chief Todd Walker said he was called to the house Friday because of aggressive dogs attacking neighbors. The chief said a large dog tried to attack him outside the house while Walker was in his cruiser. Walker said he had to use his cruiser to push the dog back inside an open gate.
“The condition of the dogs was very poor and they were very aggressive,” Walker said.
Walker said there were 17 dogs inside a fenced area. He said the odor of dog feces and urine was “overwhelming.” He said there was no signs of water or food for the dogs. Other dogs were seen inside the home, some locked in rooms, he said.
Walker said county Humane Officer Kasandra Howell put food through a window into a room.
“The dogs were visually starving and aggressively trying to consume the food. Most of the dogs were swallowing the food whole, trying to eat as much as possible,” Walker said.
The assistant dog warden captured most of the aggressive dogs. The dogs were then placed in the custody of the humane officer.
Walker said Myler failed to comply with a previous order of the police department concerning the dogs.
“The condition of the dogs was found to be severely deteriorated since last contact,” Walker said.
Inside the home, Walker said a dog was found lying in a pile of filth and blood. He said the dog had to be put down at the scene. A puppy was found beheaded and partially eaten in a bedroom, he said.
Several dogs had jumped the fence, and Walker was called back on Saturday about dogs returning.
A county health department representative also came to the home on Friday and ordered nobody was allowed to occupy the home due to its condition.
Howell said 30 dogs were taken to the county’s animal shelter. She said about one-half of the dogs were pretty thin and some dogs were being fed by neighbors.
“There was not one one drop of water or food in the house,” she said.
The humanef food, flea medication and other supplies.
The animal shelter already had 15 dogs there before the incident, she said.
“Every shelter worker and member of the humane society has been putting in overtime,” Howell said.
She said the dogs are not socialized with humans. She said that will have to take place before the dogs can be put up for adoption or transferred to a rescue organization. Howell said the dogs have to remain at the animal shelter until released by the county prosecutor’s office.
(Weirton Daily Times - May 8, 2013)
