Richard and Dorothea Conroy, 15000 block of Cheatham Toy Road, were booked at the Henderson County Detention Center Thursday afternoon on 26 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals, 26 counts of failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination, 26 counts of failure to provide proof of county dog licenses and one count of breeding without a license.
The dogs were seized from the Conroys’ property on Aug. 7 after authorities received information about dogs in distress at a breeding kennel located on Cheatham Toy Road, according to a complaint filed in District Court Thursday by Michael Burkes, a supervisor with the local animal control agency.
After obtaining a search warrant for the property, Burkes said in his complaint that he “discovered 26 dogs in kennels that were encrusted with layers of fecal matter. The entire building which housed the animals was covered in dirt, fecal matter, urine, mouse droppings, spider webs and flies.”
Each pen contained numerous dogs of both sexes that had not been spayed or neutered. While each pen had a watering system, it was in such disrepair that the animals had no access to fresh, clean water, according to the complaint.
“The gates for the kennels were in disrepair, and emergency evacuation of the animals from the facility would have been impossible,” Burkes stated in the complaint. “A noose was hanging from the ceiling.”
The Conroys were unable to provide proof of rabies vaccinations, county tags and a breeder’s license for the 26 animals.
The dogs were seized and taken to the Henderson Animal Clinic where Dr. Jamie Alka examined them. Her report stated that each dog presented to her was physically and mentally unhealthy.
Alka also reported that 18 of the dogs would be considered extremely emaciated, according to the complaint. All the dogs were anemic due to whipworms and hookworms. The majority of the dogs also had ear and eye infections and had hair matted with feces.
More than a week later, the majority of the dogs seized are doing well, Burkes told The Gleaner Thursday evening. Some have medical issues that won’t be able to be fixed and one dog was ruled too aggressive, but 19 of the Airedale terriers have been approved for adoption.
The dogs are still underweight and have hookworms, but this can be treated at their new homes, he said. A few of the dogs will be kept at the shelter as live evidence should the case proceed to trial.
Burkes said he would like to see the case go to trial.
“Hopefully we’ll get some justice for these animals,” he said.
Second-degree animal cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor. It can result in a $500 fine per count and up to a 365-day jail sentence, said County Attorney Steve Gold.
The other charges levied against the Conroys are county violations punishable by fines. The fines are as follows: breeding without a license: between $25 and $100 per each offense; failure to provide proof of county dog licenses, no less than $10 and no more than $100 per each offense; and failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination, no less than $25 and no more than $100.
The investigation and recovery of the dogs was a team effort by animal control officers, the Humane Society, Kentucky State Police, the Sheriff’s Office and the County Attorney’s office, Burkes said.
“We’ve recovered evidence saying they’ve been doing this for quite some time now,” Burkes told The Gleaner
The Conroys have lived at their house for 21 years and the building used to house the dogs was erected in 1992.
Authorities were tipped off by a concerned citizen who wished to remain anonymous, Burkes said.
“We really love people who go the extra mile to report stuff like this because we can’t be in everybody’s backyard and garage, but citizens can,” he said.
(Evansville Courier & Press - August 15, 2013)
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