Couple accused of neglecting 8 Great Danes in feces-filled Corbett barn

OREGON -- A Multnomah County animal services officer recently was tipped off to a Corbett barn, where eight Great Danes - bearing such names as Achilles, Capone, Envy, Reese, and Mila - were found malnourished and living among feces and urine.

The visit has led to the filing of an arrest warrant affidavit this week for a Corbett couple.

The affidavit accuses both Katrina Dawn Conway, 32, and Nathaneal I. Welch, also 32, of eight counts of second-degree animal neglect.

Conway told authorities that they had lost their home and had nowhere to go, and the Corbett barn was offered to them.

The animal control officer described the stench in the kennels as "overpowering, horrible and disgusting,'' and found several of the Great Danes emaciated and suffering from open wounds and infections, Multnomah County deputy district attorney Todd Jackson wrote in an affidavit filed in court.

The complainant told the county animal officer that one of the dogs was so thin "he could count every bone in its body,'' the affidavit said.

Second-degree animal neglect, a misdemeanor, accuses the owners of "unlawfully and intentionally , knowingly, recklessly and with criminal negligence'' failing to provide minimum care for their animals.

The couple have a website called Welch Farms about the dogs they breed for adoption.

Authorities plan to cite the couple with the alleged misdemeanor offenses and schedule a future court date, according to prosecutors.

A call to Conway was not immediately returned Thursday.

On the Welch Farms website, Conway wrote: "We are dedicated to our canine children just as much as we are our human children. We want the best for them and strive to make them the best they can be and give them the best opportunities.  We look out for them and expect everyone who adopts one of our canine babies to become like family and keep us involved.''

On June 10, the county animal services officer found Achilles in the Corbett barn in the 8200 block of S.E. Groce Rd. emaciated to a point that was life-threatening, the affidavit said.

Envy was in a kennel covered in "fecal material and urine,'' and the dog's ribs were showing, Jackson wrote in the affidavit.

Feces and urine was mixed with some of the dogs' food.

Many of the dogs had open wounds and pressure sores, the affidavit said.

 "The dogs' coats were dirty to the touch and there was dry crusted fecal material stuck to their toenails,'' Jackson wrote.

 Veterinarian Ann Langer examined the eight dogs. Seven of the eight, she found, suffered from inadequate nutrition and the remaining dog's ears were swollen and infected.

Multnomah County's Animal Services impounded the dogs and are caring for them.

(The Oregonian - July 21, 2014)