OHIO -- A Fostoria woman may face animal cruelty and neglect charges after an investigation by the Seneca County Humane Society Tuesday found two dozen malnourished dogs living in squalor inside a South Poplar Street residence.
At around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Seneca County Humane Society responded to a complaint from a concerned citizen regarding a large number of emaciated dogs living in unsanitary conditions at 314 S. Poplar St. Apt. A.
Upon arriving at the residence, owned by 39-year-old Tamme Mooreheart, Janie Hohman, executive director for the Humane Society, discovered 12 severely emaciated, flea-ridden dogs living in their own waste inside cages she said hadn't been cleaned in some time.
"When we walked inside, it was awful," Hohman said. "The dining room had two cages with one dog in each cage and they were living in their own urine and feces. The stench was terrible and there were flies all over the cages. They looked like they hadn't been cleaned in weeks."
In addition to the sickly caged canines, she said there were a number of puppies scattered throughout the home defecating on the floor while their mother lie weak and starving in the living room.
"It was sickening," she said. "It was sickening to see this mom in this condition. You could count every bone in her body; and, she's just a sweetheart trying so hard to take care of her babies. I was furious. It made me sick to see how these poor dogs had been living until someone stepped up to make a complaint."
Hohman said she arrived on the scene and contacted the Fostoria Police Department after her knocks at the door initially went unanswered. Once she went inside and witnessed the condition of the animals, she immediately left the residence and returned to the shelter where she picked up four cages to rescue as many of the dogs as she could with help from Officer Brett Bethel.
"The officers over there cannot do enough for us," she said. "We call them and they're right there to help us."
Seven canines, including the mother and her puppies, were taken out of Mooreheart's care Tuesday with one of the other dogs being rescued on Friday afternoon. Hohman said Mooreheart advised she had given away all of the other dogs but one, the father of the puppies.
Hohman said she advised that she would be returning to check on the dog, as well as a kitten and a rabbit that were discovered at the home.
"[Mooreheart] said she had been sick for four days and that's why it was in the shape it was in," Hohman said. "I told her, 'this did not happen in just four days.' The mother dog was starving to death, all while people sat there and watched TV."
In addition to the support from the police department, Hohman said she is also thankful for the citizen who took a stand and made the complaint. If it was not for the person who reported the abuse, Hohman said she does not know how much longer the dogs would have lasted under those conditions.
"The public is our eyes for us and we need to have them call us and let us know when any type of animal is not being taken care of," she said.
As of Friday, there have been no formal charges filed against Mooreheart, but Hohman said she will have no problem doing so if her follow up visit yields negative results on the condition of the remaining animals.
"If I keep an eye on her and she seems to be taking care of the animals, I may not file charges," she said. "But if the conditions aren't improved and if she is not taking care of them, there definitely will be charges filed and she is well aware of that."
As for the eight dogs currently under the care of the Seneca County Humane Society, Hohman said all have been given their shots and tested for heartworm, and two of the dogs have already been placed on the adoption floor with one more on its way.
"Since I've had her, the mother of the pups has put on four to five pounds already," she said. "We've been feeding her two to three times a day and we've been feeding the puppies a lot to wean them away. When you look into their eyes, you can tell that they're all really grateful to have been taken away from that place. They are such good dogs."
(Review Times - June 29, 2013)
