State Police initiated an investigation, and on Wednesday (10/26) Michele L. Sestito, age 32, now residing with her mother at 21 Red Post Crescent in Fairport, was arrested for 69 counts of Animal Cruelty.
Venturino said in his statement to police: “On 10/11/16, I was at my rental property at 1212 Johnson Street in the Town of Palmyra. I asked if I could put a new furnace filter in the furnace. When I asked this, I was told by a male that I could not come inside the house, his name is Ken Kahler.
Why isn't Ken Kahler being charged too?
While I was at the door I could smell an awful stench, it smelled like dirty animals. I asked what it was and he replied that there was no animals in the house.
The next day on 10/12/16, I was doing routine preparation for winter on the house, I was outside cleaning the gutters when I could see multiple cages of rats inside an upstairs bedroom. I immediately called the Police to report animal cruelty. I could see that they had no food or water and they were all piled on top of each other in the cages.”
Wayne County Animal Control Office Bob Howard took possession of cages containing 69 rats. The rats were kept in an upstairs room with no food or water in the cages. Howard said some of the cages and rats, that were originally reported as being in the house, disappeared before he arrived to seize the animals and it was estimated that over 100 rats were living in the house.
“When you walked into the house, it was horrible, the smell of rat feces and urine,” said Bob. He added that a tame pigeon, kept in a dirty bathroom was “very friendly” and let the officer pick him right up.
In her statement to police Sestito said she moved into the Johnson Road address on August 1st, of this year. She told police she began collecting rats from pet stores in hopes of finding them new homes.
Around September 1st, Sestito said she moved in with her mother after becoming ill, so she could help with her (Sestito’s) children. She also told police her mother would not allow her to bring the rats with her.
Sestito indicated that Kahler was her “business partner” and he was supposed to be taking care of the rats in her absence
According to Wayne County District Attorney, Rick Healy, the difficulty in seizing so many rats is finding a place to keep them. Luckily, Lollypop Farm, the Monroe County Humane Society, took in 30 rats, Cracker Box Palace, well-known for larger farm and domesticated animals took possession of 29, and Critter Chris took 9.
According to Ashley Zeh, Associate Director for Communications at Lollypop Farm, the rats had to be treated for lice infestation. She added that 15 of the rats were transferred to Small Pets- Big Hearts, a rodent rescue group out of the Buffalo area.
Healy said that one of the conditions, if found guilty, would be to ban Sestito, who he believes is a “collector”, owning any animals in the future
(Wayne Times - Oct 29, 2016)
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