WEST VIRGINIA -- Back in 2016, an emaciated two-year old Lab mix that was later named Fred was seized from Christa Hughes. Hughes claimed the dog lost weight because of illness, but she had no proof that she had taken the dog to a vet for needed medical care. Also, a vet who examined Fred after he had been seized found no evidence of the dog suffering any sickness -- he was merely being slowly starved to death. Hughes certainly hasn't missed any meals. Maybe her punishment should be that she be chained to a tree and starved until she looks like Fred?
Full Name: Christa Lynn Hughes
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5'07"
Weight: 200 lbs
Birthdate: 12/07/1986
Arrest Age: 31 Date: 01/29/2018
Arresting Agency: Hancock County
Charges
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1 NOTES: CM Convicted Misdemeanor
WEST VIRGINIA -- Fayette County Sheriff's Department posted on Facebook February 6, 2018 ·
A Fayette County woman has been arrested for allegedly neglecting her pets. Sheriff Mike Fridley released the following information regarding this incident.
A Fayette County Sheriff's Deputy was dispatched to a residence in the Cannelton area regarding a possible animal cruelty complaint.
Upon the deputy's arrival, he found that the owner was keeping three dogs in an adjacent unoccupied apartment. The floors of the apartment were covered in dog feces and the overall living conditions of the animals were very poor. The Humane Society seized these dogs from this location.
The owner, Shannon Lee Sears (46 of Cannelton) was charged with four counts of Cruelty to Animals. Sears was arraigned by the Fayette County Magistrates Office and was released on a $8,000.00 bond.
"As usual, this agency takes a strong stand against abuse and neglect of animals" says Sheriff Fridley. "If you don't want to deal with pets, then don't have pets, it’s that simple".
If you have any information regarding this incident or any other crimes, contact the Fayette County Sheriff's Department at 304-574-3590, or through our Facebook page "Fayette County Sheriff's Department," or you can contact Crime Stoppers of West Virginia at 304-255-STOP.
This incident remains under investigation by Corporal N.D. Hall of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.
Full Name: Eric Jason Linger
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 5'09"
Weight: 175 lbs
Birthdate: 01/10/1983
Arrest Age: 35
Arrest Date: 02/02/2018
Arresting Agency: Braxton County Sheriff's Office
Location: Braxton County, West Virginia
Charge
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
PREVIOUS ARRESTS:
ERIC JASON LINGER sentenced in circuit court October 2, 2003
On Friday, ERIC JASON LINGER, 20, of Heaters was placed on three years probation.
Linger had already completed a sentence at the Anthony Center for Youthful Offenders for breaking into the Spencer Livestock Market.
While on probation, Nibert ordered Linger to spend 40 hours per year in community service and another 40 hours annually in litter control. He was also ordered to pay $157 in restitution.
He was also arrested in 2009, but the charge is not listed.
Full Name: Aaron Lee Shrewsbury
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 5'09"
Weight: 180 lbs
Birthdate: 08/02/1977
Arrest Age: 40
Arrest Date: 01/25/2018
Arresting Agency: Wyoming County Sheriff's Office
Location: Raleigh County, West Virginia
Charge
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1
NOTES: PTF Pretrial Felon
WEST VIRGINIA -- Deputies say an Oak Hill man faces animal cruelty charges after finding two dogs chained together, causing the death of one of the dogs.
Caleb Sutphin, 32, has been charged with two counts of cruelty to animals. A deputy with the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, and an animal control officer responded to a home at 1891 Summerlee Road in Oak Hill for an animal cruelty complaint.
The deputy said when she arrived at the home she saw two shivering dogs on chains, and the chains were intertwined so the dogs couldn't move.
There was a dog house on the porch, but there was no bedding inside, only a concrete pad.
“Both were terribly underweight and in critically poor health,” according to the sheriff's department release.
According to court document, they checked the area and found food and water bowls around the yard, but one of the bowls were broken and couldn't hold anything. Another bowl only had a little water inside and it was frozen.
One of the dogs, a white and gray mix had no hair on its behind and it looked like raw flesh.
Both dogs were taken to the Fayette County Animal Shelter, but due to the time of day the dogs couldn't see a veterinarian until the next day.
Why wasn't it taken to an emergency clinic? It sat there all night suffering?? Good Lord.
According to the criminal complaint, the collie mix had to be put to sleep because of its injuries. The other dog, a brown boxer is underweight and lacking necessary vaccinations, but it survived.
"Mistreating your animals is inexcusable and will not be tolerated," Sheriff Mike Fridley said in the release. "They rely on you for food, shelter and care. If you can't handle the responsibility, you shouldn't cause them to suffer for it.”
Sutphin remains in the Southern Regional Jail on $7,500 bond.
ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Caleb Jeffrey Sutphin
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 6'02"
Weight: 160 lbs
Birthdate: 07/16/1985
Arrest Age: 32
Arrest Date: 01/18/2018
Arresting Agency: Fayette County
Charges
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1
NOTES: PTF Pretrial Felon
#2 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
NOTES: PTF Pretrial Felon
PREVIOUS ARREST:
CALEB JEFFREY SUTPHIN
Date of birth: Jul 16, 1985 Booking date: Jan 31, 2015
Booking location: Putnam County, WV
Imprisonment status:Misdemeanor Pre-Trial
Facility: Southern Regional Jail
Issuing agency location: FAYETTE COUNTY - Bail Amount: $2,500.00
Court info number: 15M-229-230
WEST VIRGINIA -- A Moundsville man faces charges after allegedly picking up his dogs and swinging them by the collar during a fight with his wife late Wednesday.
At about 6 p.m., Moundsville police responded to a domestic disturbance on Seventh Street (reported to be 1117 7th Street, Moundsville WV). Knocking on the door yielded no results, but inside, a Christmas tree was seen toppled over with several things nearby smashed and broken.
At the rear of the house, police made contact with Robert Stephen Becker, 59, who allegedly told officers, “This is my house and I didn’t touch anyone.”
Becker allegedly told police he was in bed sick when he got into an argument with his wife. After making contact with someone else on scene, police were told that Becker came home angry, breaking things as soon as he entered the house.
When he arrived in the bedroom, he allegedly picked up their two dogs by the collar and jerked them around, swinging one around by the neck and then grabbing a woman by the shoulders and spitting in her face, before she was able to free herself, grab the dogs and run.
Becker was arrested for domestic battery and cruelty to animals, and transported to the Northern Regional Jail. He is free after posting $5,000 bond (likely only 10% = $500).
ARREST INFORMATION:
Full name: Robert Stephen Becker Arrest ID:WV-1005233355
Date:12/06/2017
DOB:06/03/1958
Height:5ft 10in
Weight:175 lbs.
Charge(s): Domestic Battery, Animal Cruelty
WEST VIRGINIA -- A Beckley man has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
According to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, Jerry Hommey III, 25 of Beckley was charged with animal cruelty after someone showed a video to police of the incident.
The video shows Hommey kicking the dog, dragging it by the neck, being picked up and thrown to the ground and dragged some more before it was hooked to a chain. All of it was caught on video.
After investigating, a warrant was obtained charging Hommey. It was also discovered Hommey had other warrants on file for various crimes. Sgt. R.L. Bircham arrested and served Hommey with warrants.
Hommey is being held in the Southern Regional Bail under a 5,000.00 dollar bond
Raleigh County Animal Control took custody of the dog for safekeeping.
WEST VIRGINIA -- Dozens of herding dogs were seized from a Kanawha County farm Monday in an animal neglect case.
Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association along with several law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant and raided the home, taking 56 dogs into the KCHA's care.
The home is in the small town of Liberty, just outside Sissonville.
The property owner, a woman in her 80s, kept dozens of dogs chained to the inside of a crumbling barn. Shafer’s team called the conditions “clear-cut neglect.”
As Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association vets are taking a preliminary look at the animals, they're finding injuries, illness, signs of breeding and pain. KCHA doesn't know how long the dogs were living on the farm, but we know tonight they are safe.
"It's heart-wrenching to see. This is one of those things that we hear about it, but you never really understand the level of neglect until you get here and see it for yourself," Jessie Shafer, Director of Development for KCHA, told 13 News.
Some of the 56 animals were found in fenced areas, others chained to small stalls in several barns on the property.
"Nobody can care for this amount of animals properly. Nobody can meet basic needs of animals when you have this many animals running around. And the fact that they're chained to barn stalls, not able to move freely, not able to drink water," Shafer added.
KCHA isn't sure how long the homeowner has had this many Collies, Australian Shepards, and Black & Tans, or how long they were being mistreated.
"Their water is dirty if there is any. So we don't know whether they have parasitic issues or not. There are various degrees of matting situations that are going on, which can cause skin infections and severe pain," Shafer explained.
No one knew the animals were living on the remote farm until a local came by looking to buy wood from the homeowner.
"As soon as he made his way to the property, he realized there were dozens and dozens of animals in distress. So he reached out to a Humane Officer- which is always the right thing to do. And we took immediate action," Shafer said.
Several goats were found on the property, and also taken into the shelter.
Shafer says the owner signed over 49 dogs to the humane association. The owner refused to surrender ownership of the remaining seven dogs (no mention about the goats). She will have to go to court to fight to get them returned to her. No charges have been filed as of Monday afternoon.
WEST VIRGINIA -- Two more cats were located at a house on Lower Donnally Road in Kanawha City, bringing the total to 74 cats, according to KCHA Director of Development Jessie Shafer.
In addition to the 74 cats being found alive, three have been found deceased.
Shafer says the KCHA shelter is in desperate need of money to care for the cats.
They're also in need of pet groomers in the area to come to the shelter to groom the cats. The cats are all horribly matted.
Anyone interested in helping out can call 304-633-8265 for more information.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Seventy-two feral cats seized from a Kanawha City home.The animals are now receiving emergency medical care at the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association. Concerned neighbors tipped-off police, and humane officers were finally granted an injunction on the house. Staff believe there may be a few cats still hiding in the home. A crew will be headed to the home for a final sweep Wednesday.
The woman responsible for the feral cat colony on Lower Donnally Road, has submitted to a mental health evaluation, and is accepting help from adult protective services.
At this point she is not facing any criminal charges, but humane officers paint a graphic picture of the inside of her home.
"Several of these cats, if not all of them, probably have upper-respiratory infections. They're sick animals and we're going in today with the intention of treating animals that desperately need to be treated," KCHA Director of Development Jessie Shafer told 13 News.
One kitten was found dead in a freezer, another dead cat was found in the home.
Concerned neighbors say the situation went from bad to worse, describing a horrible urine smell on hot summer days.
"Neighbors are going outside smelling ammonia and cat smells and I'm sure it's not pleasant for them, and they have really valid concerns- not only for the health and safety of the animals, but for the health and safety of the owner," Shafer explained.
But right now, the owner won't be charged. It's part of a new approach the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association is taking with animal neglect cases. If the owner did not torture and purposely abuse the animals, or have malicious intent, police will offer help instead of jail time - as long as the suspect is cooperative and agreeing to seek mental health counseling to deal with their hoarding issues.
"We don't want to go in and take the animals and file charges immediately. If it's warranted, it will happen. But right now we just want to get her the help that she needs," Shafer added.
Wednesday a judge will decide whether the KCHA can take full custody of the cats, and where the case should go from here. The KCHA says they still have many cats and kittens, already in the shelter, that need adopting so they can make room for the ones picked up Tuesday.
Monetary donations, along with donations of cat carriers, food and litter are also desperately needed.
Full Name: Joshua Micah Cooper
Arrest Age: 34
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthdate: 10/10/1982
Height: 6'01"
Weight: 190 lbs
Date:07/16/2017
Arresting Agency: Jefferson County, West Virginia
Location: Berkeley County, West Virginia
Charges
#1 Cruelty To Animals-1
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
Full Name: Jonathan Trent Roger Rossiter
Date: 07/11/2017
Arresting Agency: Ritchie County
Arrest Age: 18
Gender: Male
Birthdate: 03/18/1999
Height: 5'09"
Weight: 124 lbs
Location: Doddridge County, West Virginia
Charges
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
Full Name: Christopher Shawn Jemerison
Date: 07/07/2017
Arresting Agency: Logan County
Arrest Age:38
Gender: Male
Birthdate: 02/07/1979
Height: 6'00"
Weight: 240 lbs
Location: Logan County, West Virginia
Charges #1 Cruelty To Animals-1
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
#2 PUBLIC INTOXICATION
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
#3 DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY
NOTES: PTM Pretrial Misdemeanor
Full Name: Karen Lynn Reese
Date: 07/05/2017
Arresting Agency: Hancock County
Arrest Age: 45
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthdate: 11/14/1971
Height: 5'05"
Weight: 135 lbs
Location: Marshall County, West Virginia
Charges
#1 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS-1
NOTES: CM Convicted Misdemeanor
Full Name: Goldie Ann Cross
Date:06/29/2017
Arresting Agency: Grant County
Arrest Age:43
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthdate: 02/25/1974
Height: 5'07"
Weight: 150 lbs
Location: Hampshire County, West Virginia
Charges
#1 Cruelty To Animals-9
NOTES: CF Convicted Felon
WEST VIRGINIA -- A Henderson man has been charged with animal cruelty after he allegedly killed his mother’s dog, according to a complaint filed in Mason County Magistrate Court.
Michael S. Watson (Mike Watson), 44, was arrested by deputies with the Mason County Sheriff’s Department this week.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court, it’s alleged Watson and his mother got into an argument at their home in Henderson.
Watson had reportedly been drinking, and when his mother told him to, "look for [the number] himself," he became physically violent.
Watson allegedly struck a nearby wall with his fist, and moved to the kitchen where his mother heard something strike her floor.
The mother walked into the living room and said she saw butcher knives and a cutting board on the floor, according to the complaint.
She then stated she bent over to get her purse to leave and as she bent over, her mortally wounded dog landed at her feet.
The victim told deputies she was unsure whether the defendant allegedly hit the dog with a glass flower vase or threw the dog into a wall. The dog was breathing when she picked it up but died almost immediately, according to the complaint.
Watson reportedly told deputies he picked up a flower pot and slammed it on the floor out of anger and that it landed right on her sleeping dog.
He claimed he "didn't know" the dog just happened to be lying on the floor sleeping, according to the complaint.
This tells me he's lying. There is no way that this dog could have been 'sleeping' with him screaming at his elderly mother, stomping around the house throwing things, etc. He either grabbed her dog and flung it against the wall killing it or the dog was cowering and he came over and smashed the vase down onto its head, crushing its skull and killing it. He then picked up the dying little dog and flung it at his elderly mother.
Watson’s bond was set at $50,000 by Magistrate Cheryl Ross. As of Wednesday evening, he remained incarcerated at the Western Regional Jail.
Deputy J. T. Veith is the investigating officer.
PREVIOUS ARREST FOR MIKE WATSON:
The Mason County Sheriff’s Department reports the following arrests May 19-May 24, 2017: Michael S. Watson, 44, Henderson, aggravated DUI, seat-belt violation, no operators, arrested by Deputy Waugh.
WEST VIRGINIA -- A Kanawha County woman accused of running a puppy mill has been charged with more than three dozen counts of animal cruelty.
Melissa “Missy” Jo Rucker, 49, of Nitro, was charged with 47 counts of animal cruelty Friday night, according to a criminal complaint filed in Putnam County Magistrate Court.
The complaint said on May 9, a warrant was executed at Four Paws Pet Salon in Scott Depot, which was owned and operated by Rucker, because of a report of suspected animal neglect. The complaint said the Putnam County Humane Office had received several complaints that Rucker was operating a puppy mill where she sold dogs that were ill and required medical treatment.
According to the complaint, during the search, the only employee working at the time told officers where the kennels were located but said she was not permitted to see them.
There were 28 kennels and most of them had four dogs in them, according to the complaint. Only five of the 28 kennels had food for the dogs, and that food had mold growing on it. The complaint said the water that was available for the dogs was dirty and contained fecal matter.
According to investigating officers, the kennels contained a male and female dog and the kennels with four dogs contained one male and three females. There was also a dry-erase board on the wall with a breeding schedule for the dogs.
The complaint said several of the dogs were in poor health. Some were missing teeth, which made it difficult for them to eat. Several of the dogs were missing hair and had inflammation of the skin.
Several of the dogs also had feces dried in their fur and were emaciated, according to the complaint.
When officers searched for medication or medical records they found no records and just nine capsules used for skin conditions.
Due to the lack of medical care, nutritious food and fresh water that was being provided, the complaint said officers seized 58 dogs and six puppies from the Putnam County location.
The day after the dogs were seized, a veterinarian at the Kanawha Charleston Humane Association found that 48 percent of the dogs were dehydrated, 17 percent were severely dehydrated and 48 percent had body condition sores, according to the complaint.
When questioned, the complaint said Rucker told police that she used a veterinarian in Hurricane. However, that vet told police Rucker had only taken nine dogs into his office in April to have blood drawn for Brucellosis testing.
Rucker is being held in the South Central Regional Jail on $25,000 bond.
