New Hampshire: Hollis Police Rescue Kittens Abandoned on Side of Road

NEW HAMPSHIRE -- Police are looking for the person responsible for abandoning several kittens on the side of a road.

On Tuesday, police responded to a call about the kittens, which had been spotted near a road and found the animals.

The responding officers determined the animals had been intentionally abandoned, and were subsequently able to rescue six of the young cats. 

One was adopted by a responding officer, and two others by a family in town. The remaining three were taken by Kitty Angels to be treated by a veterinarian.

Kitty Angels returned to the area and saved another five kittens, which are all in the organizations care.

Police and Kitty Angels are asking residents who see any more of the kittens to contact them rather than trying to capture the animals themselves.

Anyone wishing to adopt a cat from Kitty Angels can visit www.kittyangels.org for more information.

(NH1 - Nov 1, 2017)

Florida: Brevard County refuses to do anything about breeder / hoarder Michelle Gibson - even gives her sick cats back to her

FLORIDA -- A local woman with up to 30 cats is defying a Rockledge city law, and the city believes there is nothing it can do about it.

Cats were bandaged and sick when Brevard County Animal Services removed 16 of them from a Rockledge home less than a month ago.

 

 

City law limits homeowners to no more than four cats at a time.  But after the owner MICHELLE GIBSON reimbursed the county $2,000 for their rehabilitation, she got her cats back.

The county attorney said there’s no legal grounds to take away the cats permanently and that leaves the city unable to enforce its own law.

A county spokesman said the animals were not considered criminally neglected, and therefore they had to be given back.

 

 

 

Neighbors say they're miserable, that the ammonia smell coming from the home is unbearable. And they worry about the cats suffering. One neighbor said she [the owner] chooses to live in those conditions, but the cats don't have any say so about it. They can't get out.

Clearly, they don't know their own laws. If the law says you're not allowed more than 4 animals, she needs to be cited in city court. The judge can order her to get into compliance. If she doesn't, she can face contempt charges - or at least be cited over and over until she complies. 

How can cats need $2,000 worth of veterinary care and yet not have been criminally neglected by the owner?? 

Why can't she be cited under nuisance laws? If the ammonia stench is so bad that neighbors cannot enjoy their own property, this property is a nuisance and her breeding business shut down.

Weepy eyes

One person commented on the article: 

Actually I'm pretty sure based on the pictures and the condition of the cats I saw "IN PERSON" that she's not caring for them. They had eye infections, sinus infections, males were not being fixed, females were bred and she didn't even know it. Males were spraying all over the house. The cats are being inbred to a point where newborn litters would not live 24 hours.

(WESH - March 17, 2016)

BREVARD COUNTY ORDINANCE AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY:
Sec. 14-53. - Cruel and inhumane treatment of animals prohibited.
It is a violation of this article for any person to commit cruel or inhumane treatment to any animal. The civil penalty provided for a violation of this section is in addition to, and separate apart from, any criminal penalty for a violation of F.S. §§ 828.12 or 828.13. The term "cruel treatment" means any act of neglect, torture or torment that causes unjustifiable pain or suffering of an animal. The term "inhumane treatment" means acts which are physically cruel or expose an animal to unusual, unnecessary and otherwise avoidable physical harm. The following acts shall be deemed cruel or inhumane treatment to animals; however, this list shall not be construed as excluding other acts which may amount to cruel or inhumane treatment:

(5)
Keeping any animal in any enclosure without wholesome exercise, rest, sanitary conditions and change of air;

 

(9)
Failing to either provide reasonable veterinary care to any maimed, sick, infirm, or diseased animal, or have such animal expeditiously and humanely euthanized, which failure results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated exposure to unnecessary pain and suffering;

Michigan: Exotic animals case against Jessica Achberger, 40, and Troy Leiby, 40, bound over to circuit court

MICHIGAN -- Jessica Achberger, 40, and Troy Leiby, 40, were bound over to circuit court Wednesday afternoon after the conclusion of their preliminary examination in the case of exotic animals found at their Mottville Township home.

The preliminary examination began on Feb. 16, but was unable to be completed as an emergency hearing took place when Dr. Judilee Marrow from Binder Park Zoo requested permission from the court to euthanize the Bettong on Friday, Feb. 19.

Achberger and Leiby are facing three counts of animal torture; one count for the Bettong, one count for the Coatimundi and one count for the Macaque Monkey. Both are facing one count of obstruction of justice.

Judge Jeffrey Middleton presided over the preliminary examination.

*  Achberger’s count results from Jan. 28 after she wasn’t truthful with authorities about exotic animals being present in the home. Leiby’s count results from Jan. 20 when authorities were first called to the home and Leiby told them there were no exotic animals present.

Middleton said, “That [obstruction of justice] should be count one, it will be the most serious of charges.”

Achberger and Leiby also face one count of animal cruelty charges.

 

 

 

“This case does not hold a lot of jury appeal for the defendants, the jurors are going to hear this and their blood pressure is going to go up. There’s two sides to every story and we haven’t heard your side,” Middleton said.

Middleton continued, “These animals should not have been there in the first place. I don’t think you intentionally wanted to harm these animals; you got in over your head. You were trying to fit five pounds of sand in a one-pound bag.”

(Three Rivers News - March 3, 2016)

Earlier:

• Michigan: Exotic animals seized from home in deplorable condition; Jessica Achberger arrested

United Kingdom: Police searching for person who abandoned cat, locked in pet crate, at park

UNITED KINGDOM -- An appeal has been made to find the owners of a cat after it was found apparently abandoned in a Dundee park.

The feline was discovered by a member of the public in Camperdown Park on Saturday.

The Bengal cat was found inside its carrier, which also had food and a bowl of water inside.

An animal welfare officer from the Scottish SPCA collected the animal and took it to their rehoming centre in Petterden, where staff named him Benji.

It’s not known if the cat was stolen or abandoned.

Assistant Manager Dale Christie said: “Benji was found in a good, healthy condition, so we don’t think he was there for long. The cat carrier also looked brand new.

“Benji is such a friendly boy and we are shocked that someone would dump him like this.

“Unfortunately he doesn’t have a microchip and we aren’t sure whether he has been stolen or abandoned. We are keen to hear from anyone who may know who Benji belongs to.

“We are asking anyone with information to contact our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”

Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.

(Evening Telegraph UK - January 28, 2016)

Michigan: Exotic animals seized from home in deplorable condition; Jessica Achberger arrested

"Upon entry, it was a very horrific scene," said Gregory Musser, the Animal Control supervisor with the St. Joseph County Sheriff's department. "The smells were unbearable."

MICHIGAN -- A Mottville couple is under arrest Thursday night for keeping exotic animals in their house.

 

Wallabies and flying squirrels are just two of the types of wild animals they were keeping illegally.

Authorities are working to remove the animals from the home, saying the conditions there are deplorable, and deputies are concerned about one animal in particular.

 

Wallabies, flying squirrels, exotic raccoons, and a monkey. Those are just some of the more than 20 animals kept at the Mottville home.

"I was in there one time, probably the first year they lived here. They had a giant cat, I think it was either from Africa or India," said neighbor Jerry Willings.

 

Jessica Achberger and her husband are facing charges of animal cruelty, and owning the exotic animals without permits.

Authorities went through the house Thursday, making the discoveries after a concerned neighbor called animal control.

They had seen the wallabies bouncing in the backyard. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, the couple owned a pet store in Indiana, and that's where the animals came from.

 

"We were told by them they had to close their store, and that they were trying to keep all the animals here, and they intended to keep them for themselves as pets," said Josh Shook, with St. Joseph County Animal Control.

Deputies say the animals were living inside the house in deplorable conditions. Authorities tell us most of the critters seem to be in good health, expect for the monkey, which could be carrying diseases.

"We're concerned about its welfare, and the fact it hasn't had any medical attention in a very long time. Monkeys that aren't maintained properly can carry diseases harmful to humans," Shook said.

Authorities are working with local zoos to find the animals a temporary home.

The accused couple could be in front of a judge as soon as Friday.

(WWMT - Jan 28, 2016)

It looks as though Anna Morrow and Jessica Achberger had moved their pet store, Downunder Reef Pet Shop, from Granger, Indiana to nearby Elkhart, Indiana a few years back and mistakenly thought that because they had USDA licenses to breed and sell exotic animals that the USDA license would protect them from Elkhart local ordinances which prohibits the sale and ownership of exotic animals. Maybe they thought they could open the pet store in Michigan? Either way, it's way too many animals for just two people to care for properly.

Elkhart pet shop may violate exotic animal ordinance (Aug 4, 2013)
Anna Morrow said they were told that their USDA license overrules local ordinances, but according to a USDA official, that is not how the license works.

Tanya Espinosa, public affairs specialist for the USDA’s animal and plant health inspection service, confirmed that Downunder Reef does have a license to breed and sell exotics. However, people who hold USDA licenses must abide by state, county and city laws, Espinosa said.

 

Jonathan Long, deputy city attorney for Elkhart, also said there is no permit that allows pet shop owners or residents to sell or keep exotic animals in the city of Elkhart.

“It’s against city ordinance to harbor any exotic animals,” Long emphasized.

Exotic pet store owners say they are doing everything right (Aug 5, 2013)

A local publication has brought a new pet shop into question. Downunder Reef Pet Shop is new to Elkhart and concerns are being raised about if they're complying with city ordinances when it comes to the animals they house.

Owners Anna Morrow and Jessica Achberger say they are doing everything right to their knowledge. Downunder Reef is new to the area, but they aren't new to the business. 

 

"We're doing the same thing that we've done in the last two years, it's just in another city," says Morrow.

Questions have came up about if this new pet shop is complying with city codes on their animals, but these owners say they've met all city requirements. "Our ducks are in a row, we've always taken the provisions to making sure we have the licensing," says Achberger. 

FOX28 talked to the city's law office about this. They confirmed that the pet store has proper licenses for running a pet shop in Elkhart. Deputy city attorney Jonathan Long says, "Both the police department and the city are aware of the potential of exotic animals."

"We breed and sale savannah cats and Bengal cats and sugar gliders," says Achberger.