Saturday, December 31, 2016

Missouri: Kimberly Anderson threw her dog off a 3rd floor balcony, breaking his bones and blinding him in both eyes. Her punishment? Probation. Oh yeah and she had been convicted of animal cruelty once before, back in 2004.

MISSOURI -- A Kansas City, MO woman who allegedly abused a small dog pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor animal abuse on Thursday.

Kimberly Anderson (aka Kimberly Bond, Kimberly Bond Anderson, Kim Bond, Kim Anderson) admits to abusing the dog widely known as "Roadrunner."

 

The small dog known as Roadrunner was allegedly abused by Anderson in Nov. 2014. 

A witness told police that Anderson wrapped a leash around Roadrunner’s neck to pull him outside, and then picked Roadrunner up and slammed the dog on concrete before choking and kicking him. 

The witness said Anderson then went back to her apartment and left the dog outside.


A separate witness said he saw Anderson throw Roadrunner off of a third-floor balcony and then went downstairs and picked the dog up by the collar. He said he saw Anderson take the dog around the building and didn’t see either of them again.

A witness said he was covered in blood and that both of his eyeballs were "hanging out".

Roadrunner had broken bones and lost both of his eyes due to the incident.

 

The dog remains alive and is being cared for by new owners. He was adopted in January 2015 by a Kansas City Pet Project staff member.

By pleading guilty, she agreed to enter Jackson County Mental Health Court, have no contact or possession of animals in the future, make $200 restitution to the Pet Project and serve 120 days of shock time.

Her sentence was suspended and she will remain on probation for three years. Anderson entered an Alford plea, meaning she believed there was enough evidence to convict her at trial.


KIMBERLY ANDERSON WAS CONVICTED OF ANIMAL CRUELTY PREVIOUSLY

Kimberley Anderson, who was charged with a Class A misdemeanor of Animal Neglect in 2004 in a separate case (and only received a $249.50 fine).

Why is the judge being so lenient on her? She has abused animals before. The two witnesses SAW WHAT SHE DID to this little dog. If this kind of animal abuser doesn't deserve jail, who does?? Shame on Jackson County.

ANIMAL GROUPS TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE

“We’re so pleased today that a felony animal abuse conviction was obtained and that his dog’s family and the shelter’s staff and volunteers can now have closure in this case,” said Tori Fugate, Director of Marketing & Development with KC Pet Project.

“This is one of the first felony animal abuse convictions in Jackson County and we hope that this will set the bar for future cases to be heard by the courts for similar circumstances of abuse or neglect. Roadrunner’s story impacted many people in our community and we want to say thank you to everyone who shared his story and donated to help with his medical care.


"Roadrunner is living a wonderful life with his family and it’s because of the community’s support that he is now healthy and thriving.”

If she violates any of the terms, she could face up to four years of prison.

Her trial would have been held next week.

(KFVS12 - Dec 15, 2016)

Earlier:

Australia: Vicki Brown, 59, starved her Chihuahua named Kenny to death and then threw his tiny body into the trash can. For that she will spend just six weeks in the local jail

AUSTRALIA -- A woman who starved her pet dog to death before throwing it in a bin has been sentenced to six months jail.

However, Vicki Brown, 59, was required to serve only six weeks with the remainder of the sentence suspended because of her poor health.

Magistrate Elizabeth Sheppard backdated the prison term to October 17 when Brown was incarcerated for repeated attempts to avoid responsibility.


This means Brown, of Hackham West, will be released from jail after seven weeks.

Lawyers for Brown were appealing her convictions.

Brown was also indefinitely banned from owning any other animals.

RSPCA lawyer Ronan O’Brien said the case showed “there is simply no excuse for not caring for your pet’’.


“People neglecting their animals is far to common unfortunately in the community and it’s great to see courts taking that more seriously,’’ he said.

“The dog deserved to be loved and cared for, not thrown away like a piece of garbage in a trash can,” he added.

Brown, of Hackham West, was previously found guilty of one count of ill-treating an animal to cause death and one count of ill-treating an animal after failing to attend an earlier hearing at the Christies Beach Magistrates Court.


The charges related to a two-month period from March 17 to May 17 last year, during which her young pet chihuahua, Kenny, was starved to death in squalid conditions before being thrown away.

The RSPCA, which prosecuted the case, has previously described the death of the dog — who weighed just 1.89kg (4.1 pounds) — as “worse than a shooting”.

At a hearing last week the court was told the RSPCA attended her home and removed several cats after she was taken into custody in October, when a magistrate became frustrated at her repeated attempts to avoid responsibility.


RSPCA inspectors had found “a number of cats” at Brown’s housing trust home which were removed after she failed to find someone else to care for them.

Those cats have no been adopted by new owners.

VICKI BROWN WANTS YOUR SYMPATHY
The court has also heard from Brown’s lawyer that she suffers from anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, asleep apnoea, asthma, hypertension and high cholesterol.

(The Advertiser - December 5, 2016)

Pennsylvania: John Herrmann, 18, pleads guilty to raping a horse

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Hartstown-area man has pleaded guilty in Crawford County Court of Common Pleas for bestiality with a horse earlier this year in western Crawford County.

On Thursday, John J. Herrmann, 18, pleaded guilty before President Judge Anthony J. Vardaro to one count each of criminal trespass and sexual intercourse with an animal.

Note: Another article stated Herrmann's age as being 19.

One count of burglary has been dropped as part of a plea agreement with the Crawford County District Attorney's Office.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Pennsylvania State Police, Herrmann had with sexual intercourse with raped a female horse he did not own in a barn on someone else’s property on Westford Road in South Shenango Township on April 3.

The burglary count was added after Herrmann’s initial arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Rita Marwood on the charges May 27.

The criminal trespass charge is a third-degree felony with a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a $15,000 fine and the sexual intercourse charge is a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Herrmann remains free on $10,000 unsecured bond.

(Meadville Tribune - Dec 23, 2016)

Australia: Samantha Braendler, 42, and Kirsty Drowley, 40, get 2 years probation after hoarding 90 animals inside filthy home

AUSTRALIA -- Two women have been fined and banned from owning or acquiring an animal for three years after being convicted of keeping dozens of animals in horrific conditions.

Samantha Braendler, 42, and Kirsty Drowley, 40, “hoarded” up to 90 animals, including some that were pregnant, in their Elizabeth Downs house, in Adelaide’s north.

They had kept dogs, birds, cats, galahs, guinea pigs, chickens, rabbits and even a snake in cages in most of their rooms amid squalid conditions that including rubbish and feces.


Pictures released by the RSPCA show rooms fill of dirty cages and areas where the pets were housed.

The women, who were unrepresented, were convicted in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court last week, where they each pleaded guilty to ill-treating an animal on June 3 this year.

But they avoided jail after each entering into a two-year, $500, good-behavior bond. They were also fined $8500 and other costs.


Magistrate Derek Sprod also banned them from owning, or acquiring pets for at least three years.

The rulings came after negotiations with the RSPCA.

In a statement outside court, RSPCA prosecutor Ronan O’Brien said the animals were found in horrific conditions.

“These animals were living in hoarding-like conditions, with cages in most rooms of the house, with animal feces spread throughout the house and backyard,” he said.


“When the animals were seized … (it) put a huge strain on our Lonsdale shelter with such a large amount of animals entering our care at once.”

He said while up to 90 animals were seized, some were pregnant, which meant the numbers increased to 116.

He said due to RSPCA efforts almost all of the animals have since been adopted to loving owners and “just four remaining rabbits … are patiently waiting for new homes”.

He said the case was a warning to pet owners about desexing (spaying and neutering).


“The case serves as a reminder why desexing your pets is vital. Breeding can soon mean you have more animals than you can care for appropriately,” he said.

“If you are a pet owner and are struggling to care for animals in your care you should seek an alternative and more appropriate home for them.

“You can always surrender them to a rescue group such as RSPCA or Animal Welfare League.”

Neither woman was available for comment outside court.

(The Advertiser - Dec 27, 2016)

Ohio: Ashtabula drunk puppy case goes to court Jan. 25, 2017

OHIO -- Three people who police say gave alcohol to a puppy are scheduled to appear in court next month, according to Municipal Court records.

Tanna Howser, 32; Jennifer Schwab, 36, and Farrell Weger, 39, all of Ashtabula, are charged with cruelty to companion animals, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to court records.


The threesome’s pretrials are set for the same time and day — 2 p.m. Jan. 25 — before Acting Judge David Sheldon. All three pleaded not guilty at their respective arraignments and are free on $1,000 personal recognizance bonds, according to court records.

Weger has an unrelated domestic violence charge pending in Municipal Court. He is scheduled to face the domestic violence charge at 2:15 p.m. Dec. 27 for a pretrial.

 
 

Facebook users alerted police about photos of an intoxicated dog posted on the social media site. Police then went to a home in the 300 block of West 53rd Street on Nov. 28, where they were told the puppy was intentionally given an alcoholic drink, according to the police report.

Schwab told police Weger gave the four-month-old puppy alcoholic drinks. Howser then posted the photo on Facebook with the caption, “lilybug is drunk she pass the (expletive) out on us LOL,” according to police.


The city’s animal control officer, Derrell McCaleb, removed the dog from the home and took it to the Animal Protective League in Kingsville Township, according to his report.

Weger has denied giving the puppy anything more than “three licks” from a bottle of pre-mixed screwdriver, which contains vodka. He said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. Nov. 27 and then he went to bed because he had to get up for work the next day.


He said Schwab, who is now his ex-girlfriend, and Howser, who was their roommate, posted the photo of the puppy on Facebook as “a joke” while he was asleep.

After reviewing the police report, City Solicitor Michael Franklin charged all three with the first-degree misdemeanor, records show.


(Star Beacon - Dec 30, 2016)

Earlier:

Canada: Benny Miles, 40, pleads guilty to animal cruelty; banned from owning animals for 3 years

CANADA -- A Prince Edward County man has been banned from owning animals for three years after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges.

The Ontario SPCA began an investigation in October 2015 after receiving a report of abandoned animals at a condemned home in the village of Consecon.

A cat and dog found at the home had no access to food and water.

The dog needed medical attention for an eye and ear infection.

Last week, Benny Miles, 40 pleaded guilty to failing to provide care necessary for general welfare and failing to comply with the prescribed standards of care for both animals.

In addition to the three year ban on owning animals Miles was ordered to pay a $300 fine and $200 to cover veterinary fees.

Both animals are back in good health and have new homes.

(CKWS - Dec 29, 2016)

Ohio: Lekian Powell, 36, left his dog outside and it froze to death

OHIO -- A Springfield man charged with animal cruelty after his dog was found frozen to death pleaded not guilty in Clark County Municipal Court.

Lekian Kenyae Powell, 36, was arrested Dec. 27.

According to the police report, the defendant left the dog outside because it was “going to the bathroom in the house too often.”


Neighbors found the dog lying dead on the ground. Its paws frozen together and showed signs of starvation, according to witness statements in the report.

By the time police arrived, Powell had tried to hide the dead dog inside his car. Police also seized five puppies from Powell.

The penalty for conviction is a second degree misdemeanor and 90 days or a $750 fine. Powell was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Jan. 4.

(Dayton Daily News - Dec 29, 2016)

New Jersey: Animal rescuers remove 37 cats, dog from Sussex County house

NEW JERSEY -- Thirty-seven cats and a dog were removed from a house over a five-day span concluding Wednesday, according to the Byram Animal Rescue Kindness Squad.

BARKS President Darlene O'Connell declined to identify the location or the residents, stating only that it happened in Sussex County. It is the latest in a series of animal hoarding rescues in New Jersey in 2016.

 

All of the pets are slightly underweight but otherwise appear in good health, O'Connell said.

"Some are on the shy side, because they don't have a lot of socialization," O'Connell said.

The rescue, which began on Christmas Eve, is not over. About 10 cats remain in the residence, in part because volunteers ran out of available foster homes.


O'Connell said sufficient food and water was left behind to aid in their care, but that volunteers expect to return in a week and conclude the rescue.

"We are taking a little sabbatical," O'Connell said.

WHY NO CHARGES?

Earlier this week, O'Connell received an email that "someone was not able to feed their cats," and upon investigating with her team of volunteers, came upon the hoarding situation at a single-dwelling home in the county.


O'Connell has chosen not to release the town of residence nor the name of the homeowners.

Law enforcement has not been involved, O'Connell said, since the main goal was to rescue the cats "before it got really bad."

"In this case, it was not cruelty. It was somebody who became overwhelmed and could no longer handle a situation they got themselves into," O'Connell said.


The homeowners have been cooperative, O'Connell said, and signed surrender forms for BARKS to take the animals.

Depending on the type of hoarder, sometimes prosecution is not necessary - especially if the hoarder is the one who reaches out for help and willingly surrenders the animals.


Other animal hoarding cases have resulted in charges.

In November, a Howell Township couple - Joseph Handrik and Charlene Handrik - pleaded guilty to animal guilty and was ordered to pay $25,000 in fines and penalties, stemming from the discovery five months earlier of 276 dogs in their home.


O'Connell said the cat population in the Sussex County home would likely have continued to soar without intervention. About a quarter of the removed cats are kittens and a majority are females. Their ages appeared to range from four months to 2 years old, O'Connell said.

"In another six months, this would've exploded. It's lucky we got there when we did," O'Connell said.

The dog is around 10 years old, she said.

(NJ.com - Dec 29, 2016)

West Virginia: Christa Hughes pleads not guilty to starving her dog nearly to death; dog slowly recovering

HANCOCK COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA -- A woman accused of animal cruelty made her initial appearance in court on Tuesday morning.

Christa L. Hughes entered a not guilty plea in Hancock County Magistrate Court.

Meanwhile, the dog she’s accused of neglecting has gained weight, and officials are hoping for a happy ending.


“It's a crime against someone that can't help themselves, so that's always concerning,” said Nichole Felouzis, humane officer and dog warden for Hancock County.

Last month, you could count the dog’s ribs. Someone who knew of his condition reported it, and law enforcement got involved.

“Once we got possession of the dog, we took pictures, we put the dog on a feeding regimen and tried to quickly get him into a foster home,” Felouzis said. “Situations like this work a little bit better out of the shelter and in a foster home so they can receive 24-hour care.”

The foster family now calls the 2-year-old Labrador Fred. He gained 28 pounds, and still has some to go, but officials are optimistic.


“The dog was in such good spirits and through this whole thing has been so sweet and loving and nice, it's kind of sad to see that he was in that condition and still is so happy to see people,” Felouzis said. “This one will have a good ending, that's the good part of it.”

Hughes said the dog lost weight because of illness, but a vet found no evidence of that. Also, she had no proof that she had taken the dog to a vet for needed medical care.

She's due back in court next month.

(WTOV9 - December 31, 2016)

Earlier:

Ohio: Norman Hale Jr., 53, convicted of animal cruelty for the second time

OHIO -- For the second time in the past 13 years, a Monroe County man will have limitations placed on the number of animals he can have after being convicted on animal cruelty charges.

Norman Hale Jr., 53, of Stafford, was convicted on one count of animal cruelty Wednesday, Dec. 21, in Monroe County Court.

Hale had previously pleaded guilty to the charges.


The ruling of Judge John Solovan II, interim judge from Belmont County, put severe restrictions on Hale in terms of the number of animals he can keep on his property.

Hale was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $500, both suspended. He was also sentenced to supervised probation for 36 months and ordered to obtain employment and serve 120 hours of community service within six months.

Hale was also ordered not to have more than six animals on his property and to fully comply with the recommendations of Monroe County Humane Officer Ronda Piatt.

TWELVE COUNTS OF CRUELTY FILED BACK IN 2004
In March of 2004, Hale was charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty after a dog hanged itself at his property.

At that time, Hale owned approximately 40 dogs. Upon being found guilty, his kennel license was revoked and he was ordered to reduce his number of animals to four.

Hale’s second conviction on animal cruelty charges Dec. 21 stemmed from complaints and charges from 2015.

In his ruling, Solovan said he found that the victim, a dog, suffered physical harm or risk, and that Hale had ignored the recommendations of Humane Officer Ronda Piatt.

SIX COUNTS OF CRUELTY FILED BACK IN 2013
On August 21, 2013, it appears that they dismissed the animal cruelty case against him:

"Norman Hale Jr., Graysville, six counts cruelty to animals, at the request of the State, the within case is dismissed."

(Monroe County Beacon - Dec 28, 2016)

Earlier:

Alaska: Jin Bong So, who came to the USA more than 32 years ago, says he didn't know how to call animal control about a barking dog, so he shot it

ALASKA -- Anchorage school teacher Denise Rosales said that for weeks she couldn't figure out what exactly had caused small, bullet-like, bloody wounds on her 2-year-old Wheaten Terrier named Lenny.

"It was over a period of time. It wasn't just once that our dog had an injury and I didn't know what from," Rosales told an Anchorage judge in court last week. "I even asked my husband, 'I wonder if he got shot?'"


It turned out, Lenny had gotten shot while out in their backyard in a neighborhood near Lake Otis Parkway and East Dowling Road. Rosales' neighbor Jin Bong So admitted in court to firing his pellet gun at Lenny, a dog that he said barked nonstop.

Speaking in Korean and through an interpreter Wednesday, So said he lived in a duplex, between two barking dogs.

"My common sense told me, if a dog barked, (the) owner would stop the dog and would feel sorry about this," So said. "But it did not happen. I could not bear it any longer."

Rosales disputed her neighbor's account of Lenny's barking habits. She said she had never had any confrontations with her neighbors in the past about the family's dog.

On a day after the mysterious wounds had started to appear on Lenny's shoulders, Rosales said she was standing in her backyard looking at a bird on the fence when So came out and shot at it. She then realized that perhaps her neighbor had been firing at Lenny too, and called the police.

Lenny has lived through the injuries, Rosales said, but she told Judge Jennifer Henderson that the dog now cowers at any loud noise, "including bubble wrap, he's terrified of the pop sound."

She showed Henderson a 34-second video of her blond-haired dog hobbling in her home after being shot in the shoulder.


So was charged in September with three misdemeanors: animal cruelty, criminal mischief and unlawful use or possession of firearms. (Under city law, an air gun falls under the definition of a firearm, while under state law it does not). So pleaded no contest on Wednesday to all three charges.

His attorney, Chris Provost, told the judge that 69-year-old So, born and raised in Korea, moved to the United States, gained citizenship and had been a productive member of the community, working as a personal care provider and with only a charge of driving without a license on his record, from 32 years ago.

His attorney insisted that partially because of language and culture barriers, So "did not know" he could call animal control for help. He also insisted that So "did not know" that the pellet gun's projectiles would penetrate the dog's skin and "did not know" it was illegal to use a pellet gun within city limits.

I guess he also "did not know" he could walk over to his neighbor's house and ask them to keep their dog from barking so much?

"Had he known these community norms, it would have never come to this," Provost said. He said So was fired from his job because of the charges.


But city prosecutor Mike Shaffer asked the judge to send a strong message that So's actions were not acceptable and subject to consequences. Not only did So shoot a weapon within an Anchorage neighborhood but he did so to "deliberately shoot a defenseless dog," Shaffer said, both harming Rosales and endangering public safety.

"This wasn't a violent dog," he said. "This wasn't a vicious dog. This was a dog that the defendant felt was barking too much."

Judge Henderson ultimately found So guilty on all three charges. She sentenced him to 15 days in jail with more than 300 days suspended and three years probation. She fined him $1,500 and had him pay Lenny's vet bill of $250.80.

(ADN - Dec 12, 2016)

Florida: After being sentenced to a year in county jail for abusing a small dog, Anthony Kidd tried to escape, gets tackled by seven deputies

FLORIDA -- It took seven deputies to tackle a man in a Florida courtroom Wednesday following an attempted escape after he was sentenced to nearly a year in jail for a felony animal cruelty conviction.

Anthony Kidd, 23, leaped over into the courtroom galley and stood on a bench as five Manatee County deputies surrounded him, a red dot shining on his stomach as a deputy pointed a Taser.

“Do it. You’re going to have to kill me,” Kidd screamed.

 
 
 

He ignored repeated commands to “get on the ground” even after he jumped back to the front of the courtroom. Deputies told the judge to leave the courtroom.

Deputies closed in on Kidd, but he slipped away, making it only to the other side of the room before seven deputies took him to the ground.

Kidd continued to resist as more deputies arrived to assist.

“They broke my arm,” Kidd yelled. A deputy barked back: “Stop resisting.”

Kidd, who pleaded no contest in September to a felony animal abuse charge for causing his girlfriend’s dog, named Prince, to suffer a broken tooth, bloody nose and swollen eye, was sentenced to 364 days jail followed by four years probation.

 
 

Kidd immediately pleaded to Circuit Judge Hunter Carroll to reconsider, begging that he needed to be with his kids.

“I am dying,” Kidd said after having previously testified he had cancer. “I am begging you for my life.”

Carroll listened but said the court would not change it’s ruling.

Kidd had also been ordered to pay a $2,500 fine, submit to anger management treatment and that he have no possession, care or custody of domestic animals during his probation period.

“Certainly I empathize and sympathize with the medical conditions that you testified about and being in jail will make that difficult,” Carroll said during his sentencing. “However we are here to punish for what you did to Prince.”

Kidd could now face additional charges for attempting to escape custody after being remanded into the custody of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

When Kidd took the stand Wednesday, he initially refused to admit he had an anger problem.

   
  
  

Assistant State Attorney Lisa Chittaro reminded him about how he had still been angry when he first appeared before a judge following his April 4 arrest.

“It was an accident. My kid was eating (expletive),” Kidd had told Senior Circuit Judge Peter Dubensky.

Dubensky responded that Kidd should have been keeping better watch over his child.

“That’s all I did was tap him on his rear end and toss him out,” Kidd said. “There’s a lot of stuff in our backyard; there’s lots of junk.”

The veterinarian concluded Prince's injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma such as being hit with force or kicked.

Chittaro asked him about that testimony.

“Anybody can say anything,” Kidd said.

(Modesto Bee - Dec 7, 2016)

Earlier:

Nebraska: Nathan Mayer's dog tried to hide from him as he chased him around the house, beat and stabbed him to death. For that he'll spend 18 months in state prison

NEBRASKA -- Calling the crime outrageous, a judge rejected a plea for leniency Friday from an Omaha man who stabbed and beat his mother’s dog to death.

Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk sentenced 34-year-old Nathan C. Mayer to 18 months in prison. Mayer also must serve 18 months of post-release supervision and is prohibited from owning or living with a pet for 10 years.


Mayer had pleaded no contest to felony animal mistreatment for killing the pet in November 2015.

“I’m shaking my head, because I don’t even know where to begin,” Polk said as he prepared to issue the sentence. “Even if this court were to accept your alleged version of what took place, this was just, this was so far out of the box, I don’t know, this was just outrageous.”

Investigators have said Mayer chased the dog around the house. When he cornered the dog, a German Shepherd named Shoes, he stabbed the dog repeatedly and beat him to death with dumbbell weights.

Mayer reportedly told Douglas County sheriff’s deputies that the dog had bitten him and he defended himself.

Deputy Douglas County Attorney Amy Jacobsen said Mayer maintained that “he simply stabbed Shoes because Shoes was biting him.”

 
 

But she said that the dog had broken teeth and fractured cheekbones and that bloodstains were left through two stories of the house, including behind a couch and end table where investigators believe the dog tried to hide.

Jacobsen said Mayer’s record did not make him a good candidate for probation. And she asked Polk to ban him from owning an animal for 15 years.

Mayer’s attorney, Ryan Thomas, suggested intensive outpatient treatment for Mayer.

Thomas said Mayer served in the Army, received an honorable discharge and is attending college. But Thomas said Mayer has had substance abuse problems.

“My client’s not a bad person,” Thomas said. “He made a bad decision. ... This year has been difficult for him. If he could go back and change what he did, he would.”

A bad decision? Seriously? He's got a lot of nerve to call the torture death of an animal a "bad decision".


Polk said he was concerned that if rage could cause Mayer to do those things to an animal, what might he do if he became similarly enraged at a person?

The prison sentence sends a message, said Mark Langan, vice president of field operations for the Nebraska Humane Society.

“I hope it will send a message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated,” Langan said, surrounded by dozens of Humane Society supporters who had filled the courtroom and the hallway outside.

Langan said people had answered the Humane Society’s call for support by sending more than 300 letters to Polk.

(Omaha.com - Dec 5, 2016)

Earlier:

Wisconsin: Delores Marti, 78, who has been caught hoarding cats for years - and who had 42 DEAD CATS IN HER FREEZER, pleads "no contest" to animal cruelty charges; gets three years probation

WISCONSIN -- The Monroe woman accused of keeping dozens of cats--dead and alive--in her home was sentenced to three years of probation Thursday.

Delores Marti, 78, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of intentionally or negligently mistreating animals and impersonating an animal shelter in Green County court Thursday.



Judge James Beer also ordered Marti to pay the city of Monroe $10,000 in restitution.

Marti is not allowed to own a cat for five years. Marti is also not allowed to have cat accessories, including carriers or pet-food bowls.

"The availability of probation allows probation officers to check and ensure that there are no pets," Green County district attorney Craig Nolen said. "We've built in added protections prohibiting her from owning or possessing any sort of cat carriers, animal-trapping devices, cat food, things to that extent."


When her home was first searched by police, reports claimed Marti had over 90 cats including 42 that were dead. This has since been revised to over 50 with five dead.

HOARDING AND ABUSING CATS FOR YEARS

Marti was fined $175 in July 2012 and $175 in December 2013 for having too many cats. In 2013, she was found to have 30 cats in one home. She was also cited back in 2010 with orders on all three occasions to either demolish or repair the ammonia, feces and urine-filled homes.

  
 

It appears that until now - no one charged her with animal cruelty and did anything about the animals which were suffering.

“She acknowledges she had a problem... She's lost everything, all because of a love of cats that went way beyond the realm of reason," her attorney Chuck Wellington said.

 

"What people may think of me as a person ... does not represent me as a person and that is very troubling for me to deal with," Marti said.

In court Thursday, Chuck Wellington, Marti's attorney, said the situation at Marti's home stemmed from her love of cats.

"Ms. Marti's infractions really stem from a love of cats that has gone way beyond the realm of reasonableness," Wellington said.

"Perhaps your love for cats, it gets out of hand and it takes over what our good common sense normally would do," Beer said.


While Wellington noted that Marti had already undergone mental health counseling with Green County Human Services, Beer said during sentencing that she may be ordered to undergo further treatment.

The recidivism rate for hoarders is 100% unless there is mandatory psychological counseling THAT FOCUSES ON THE ANIMAL HOARDING because she literally cannot stop herself. It is not healthy for her or animals to be living in squalor and she will continue to hoard cats unless she is forced to seek treatment to address that aspect of her illness.


In August, authorities removed 42 dead cats from a freezer in the home in the 1100 block of 19th Street. Officials also found a dead cat in the garage. A total of 50 other cats were found alive and taken to the Green County Humane Society.

 

Christopher Moore of Freeport, Illinois told News 3 on Thursday he recently bought Marti's home for roughly $48,000. He said he's been cleaning up the squalid conditions inside in order to make the home livable.

"I've got to take a lot of doors out, a lot of windows, especially the closet doors, because they were trying to scratch their way through anything they could find," Moore said.


Moore said the cleanup process will involve removing the urine and feces littered throughout the home, where multiple cat carriers and cages still remain.

Monroe city attorney said Moore has until October to make the house habitable. Moore said officials want him to remove the stench still permeating throughout it.

Moore said when he discovered just how bad conditions were inside the house, he was shocked and saddened.

"It just shattered me," he said.

 

Moore said he believes Marti should have received a stronger punishment.

"I thought she should have gone to prison," Moore said.

Moore said he isn't sure what he'll do with the house once it is cleaned up. He said he'd like to get rid of it, but he isn't sure if anyone would want it.

"I think I really want to get rid of it, because I just don't want to have it," Moore said. "On the other hand, I could donate to Habitat for Humanity, but they may not want it."



(Channel3000 - Dec 23, 2016)

Earlier: