California: Scared rabbit running into flames saved by Good Samaritan

CALIFORNIA -- A terrified, wild rabbit got a hand from an animal lover evacuating from the fast spreading California wildfires Wednesday.

The amazing rescue was caught on camera.

The man struggled to chase down the bunny by the side of Highway 1 in Ventura County, but he isn't fast enough to grab the animal before it ran into the brush.

The man doesn't give up, moving in closer and finally snatching his new floppy-eared friend and carrying it to safety.

The Thomas fire has now burned more than 90,000 and forced the evacuation of more than 50,000 homes.

VIDEO CLIP OF BUNNY BEING RESCUED:

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Caleb Wadnan has been identified as the Good Samaritan who rescued the bunny. He took it to Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital, who confirmed that Wadnan brought in the burned bunny.

The female cottontail was recovering from burns and heat damage, and it was too soon to say when it would be fully healed.

 

 

Meanwhile, wildlife officials just gotta be the pickle in the punch bowl and claiming that he shouldn't have intervened. They claim this bunny had a den of babies she was trying to get back to and that humans shouldn't intervene.

OK well tell that to Smokey the Bear. Tell that to the Australian firefighter whose video went viral of him giving water to a burned, thirsty koala. According to fish & game and wildlife officials, all these wild animals that are rescued should just be left to suffer and slowly die.

Wildlife agencies suck. Want more proof? Here you go:


Vermont: Police perform CPR on newborn deer to save its life; VT Fish & Wildlife then kill it


Kansas family’s pet deer chased around the yard by game wardens, shot in the leg and then shot in the back four times, killing her


North Carolina: Couple Upset After Pet Raccoon Confiscated, Killed


Wisconsin: Armed agents raid animal shelter for baby deer, then kill it


Ohio: Archie the pet bear is euthanized


Plea to governor to return three illegal deer to Kingwood family met with silence


Former vet tech faces fine, jail for saving raccoons, deer


Rocky the pet squirrel is lassoed by red tape as officials say his host family is not allowed to keep him


Wildlife officials continue to do what they do best: KILL ANIMALS


Ohio wildlife officials shoot and kill friendly deer. Why? Follow the money trail. They want to protect the deer which then get chased by dogs, shot with arrows and shot to death by PAYING hunters


Pet coyote, which wasn't being aggressive towards anyone, killed after getting loose from owner

New Jersey: Howell woman who saved squirrels won't take plea deal


“It’s not the practice of the Missouri Department of Conservation to pass problem animals on to other people”: This is the excuse the MDC used for killing a young nuisance bear rather than offering to a sanctuary who insists they could've found a home for the bear 'within an hour'


Colorado: Colorado Parks and Wildlife tells Estes Park police officer to kill injured baby elk. He refuses and saves its life.


New York: Someone found a baby raccoon and brought it into a bar so the health department killed 12 more that hadn't been touched by humans

(KSDK - Dec 8, 2017)

(October 2017) Florida: Malinda Sue Dowling charged with seven counts of Felony Animal Cruelty after leaving her caged rabbits to starve to death. Cops found meth in her house.

FLORIDA -- A cage full of dead rabbits led to the discovery of a drug house and the arrest of a local woman, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Malinda Sue Dowling, 47, was arrested Thursday and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, keeping a public nuisance structure for drugs and seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty resulting in death after a joint investigation by Bay County Animal Control and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Animal Control workers initially responded to Dowling’s residence at 402 Brady Way on Sept. 15 after a call concerning dead rabbits left inside a cage, according to reports.

In the backyard, Officer Mary Weir with Animal Control found seven dead rabbits in a cage with no food or water.

“The rabbits were in various stages of decay,” the complaint affidavit reads. “Some were only fur and bones inside the cage and the most intact rabbit was full of maggots.”

A woman tenant renting a room in Dowling’s home told Animal Control officers that Dowling would become “agitated and violent” whenever she tried to take care of the rabbits.

In a sworn statement to BCSO deputies, the woman, who moved in back in July, said she initially didn’t know the rabbits were out there because the backyard was so full of debris and junk.

Once she and her son found the rabbits, she began feeding them but stopped after Dowling threatened her, she said.

“Dowling told her they are her rabbits, and she had no business messing with them, as they are food, not pets,” the report states.

Dowling left the rabbits for days without food and water, often in the direct sun, the tenant said. 

Investigators with BCSO returned to the residence Thursday with an arrest warrant for Dowling, but found more than just dead rabbits.

Inside the home, syringes, baggies and other paraphernalia were scattered in plain view, investigators reported, and plastic baggies found in Dowling’s bedroom field tested positive for methamphetamine.

According to the report, a witness said they observed Dowling snorting a substance inside her vehicle in her driveway, as well as numerous individuals visiting the residence for “5-10 minutes” at a time.

After being read her rights, Dowling allegedly said she knew her boyfriend had been using meth inside her home, but claimed she believed he had stopped.

After her first appearance on Friday, Dowling’s bond was set at $15,000.

ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Malinda Sue Dowling
Address: 402 Brady Way, Panama City, Florida
Gender: Female
Race: White
Eye color: Brown
Weight: 160 Pounds
Height: 5 Ft. 08 In.
Birthdate: 12/04/1969
Arrest Age: 47
Arrest Date: 10/26/2017
Arresting agency: Bay County, Florida
Charges:
#1 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#2 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#3 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#4 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#5 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#6 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#7 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS - CAUSE CRUEL DEATH PAIN AND SUFFERING
#8 PUBLIC ORDER CRIMES - KEEP PUB NUISANCE STRUCTURE FOR DRUG ACTIVITIES
#9 POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE
#10 NARCOTIC EQUIP-POSSESS - AND OR USE

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Earlier arrest:
Malinda Sue Dowling charged with tampering with a witness
News Herald - Apr 17, 2017

Malinda Sue Dowling says she was just being a protective mother when she told her daughter not to talk to authorities without representation. The State Attorney’s Office says Dowling broke the law by telling her daughter not to cooperate in the felony case against Dowling’s boyfriend, Joshua David Lee, in which Dowling was the victim.

Now Dowling, 47, is charged with tampering with a witness; Lee, 36, was found guilty of aggravated stalking and sentenced to 5 years in prison — based in part on the daughter’s testimony — and Dowling remains upset the state pursued charges against Lee when she wanted them dropped and that she is going to miss her daughter’s 16th birthday because she’s prohibited from contacting her.

The saga began unfolding in October, when Dowling called authorities to report receiving several life-threatening messages from Lee and he was arrested.

Dowling later requested the charge be dropped and refused to testify, saying she favored substance-abuse treatment for Lee. Despite her protests, prosecutors decided they were taking Lee to trial — based in part on a past criminal history of domestic violence.

As the trial date approached, Dowling left Bay County to care for her ailing mother in Mississippi and entrusted the care of her juvenile daughter to a friend. She said she told her daughter what every parent would: Don’t answer the door and don’t talk to strangers. Dowling disputed that she told her daughter to not speak with prosecutors.

“I told her not to go there without representation,” she said. “I never said she should not talk to them. I just wanted her to have adult representation if she did.”

Dowling said despite that, authorities talked to her daughter, a judge allowed her testimony at trial and Lee was found guilty of aggravated stalking and sentenced April 11 to serve five years in prison.

The 14th Circuit State Attorney’s Office (SAO) said they have evidence Dowling directed her daughter to refuse to speak with authorities, all while Dowling and Lee were engaging in jailhouse conversations. They declined to comment on the exact evidence pending trial. State Attorney Glenn Hess said his office does not take witness tampering lightly — even in cases that involve family members.

“The justice system depends on the honest testimony of people with knowledge; when you interfere with that, the system breaks down,” Hess said. “If tampering with a witness helps beat the rap, you’re going to see a lot of people tampering with witnesses. This is the case the point had to be made. She tried to subvert the justice system.”

Hess added the prosecutor’s decisions were mainly based on the fact that Lee had a history as a violent convict.


In the most recent arrest, Lee had called Dowling in October about a dozen times and left threatening voice messages, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) reported.

“I’m going to cut your throat with a paring knife,” officers quote Lee as saying in one message. A text message Dowling received hours later stated: “See if a piece of paper stops me from treating you the way you deserve. Trust me you’ll be getting yours. ... You are gonna [sic] die today.”

That led to Lee’s arrest, but weeks later, as prosecutors began looking at punishments for Lee, Dowling attempted to have the charge dropped against him, saying she favored substance abuse treatment.

“I never felt like they tried to find out who Josh actually is,” Dowling said.

It wasn’t the first time authorities had contact with Lee. He has several past convictions for domestic violence, including a September battery on Dowling. Before that, he was convicted of a separate felony domestic battery, and prior to that, Lee had spent time in prison because he pushed his pregnant girlfriend down a flight of stairs, causing her to sustain a skull fracture. All the cases involved different women.

Hess said that while prosecutors have to consider a victim’s wishes, the SAO also has a duty to protect society from repeat offenders.

“We try to take into consideration the thoughts of every victim,” Hess said. “Nevertheless, it is our responsibility to make a final decision. We have a responsibility to the community at large, and this defendant showed a violent propensity.”

After his arrest, Lee admitted sending the voice mails and text messages in jailhouse phone calls with Dowling. When Dowling refused to participate in the case, prosecutors sought the only other person they said could identify the voices in those calls — her daughter.

With his conviction, Lee, because he qualified as a prison releasee, was sentenced to serve every day of the five-year sentence behind bars.

Dowling said she feels treatment would have been a more appropriate route. She said she felt betrayed by the justice system because not only were her wishes not respected, she is now facing a felony and has been ordered to not have contact with her daughter, which will cause her to miss her first prom and her sweet 16 birthday.

“They’re too quick to incarcerate,” Dowling said. “What’s missing is human kindness. They need to return to compassion instead of status quo incarceration.”

Where was her compassion for the rabbits which suffered and died??

Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson denies 88 counts of animal cruelty

VERMONT -- A South Hero woman has pleaded not guilty to 88 counts of animal cruelty after officials found scores of dead rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles last month in her rented home.

Ashleigh M. Tillson, 30, was released on conditions Thursday from Grand Isle Superior Court in North Hero. The restrictions include that she not possess or take care of any animals while the criminal case is pending and refrain from going on the property. She now lives elsewhere in town.

Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito charged her with depriving animals that she owned or possessed from having adequate food, water and sanitation between Feb. 1 and Sept. 20.

Judge A. Gregory Rainville questioned whether there was a need for Tillson to undergo an outpatient competency and sanity evaluation. Public defender Rory O. Malone said he thought they were unnecessary at this time. He said his client had been checked leading up to the arraignment and if he sees any need he will alert the court.

Rainville said he was concerned that the more time that passes, the harder it becomes to establish what was the state of mind of a defendant at the point of the alleged offense.

In a court affidavit, Grand Isle County Deputy Sheriff Jason Essinger said one of the defendant’s friends indicated she thought Tillson was going to be admitted to the hospital for two weeks but was surprised when she was discharged after four days.

Sheriff Ray Allen was among the authorities to say the raid was the most disturbing animal cruelty case they have ever witnessed.

“In my 26 years of law enforcement I have never seen this type of animal cruelty and neglect. I was overwhelmed by what I saw and odor from inside the trailer,” Allen wrote. He said that when a member of the Humane Society of Chittenden County came into the trailer, “the look on her face (was) that of total shock.”

The abuse story was first reported by The Islander newspaper on its Facebook page in September. It soon spread to the rest of the media, including The New York Times and other major outlets across the country.

During the arraignment, DiSabito successfully argued to add a condition that Tillson not be allowed to keep any animal cages or crates. Malone questioned the need for the requirement but said Tillson was making plans to donate the cages. DiSabito said he was concerned that any animal enclosures from the residence go to proper authorities.

Rainville gave Tillson one week to dispose of the cages and crates. The judge also said he wanted an update in the court case in one month.

Tillson had lived in Winooski for two years before moving into the $700-a-month trailer in South Hero about nine months ago, court papers show. Eviction proceedings have started, court papers indicated and Malone confirmed in court.

Tillson did not address the court during her seven-minute hearing. She pulled up the hood of her jacket in an effort to block news photographers as Malone escorted her out to a car waiting in the courthouse driveway. Tillson was given a chance to comment, but Malone said she would have nothing to say.

When the sheriff’s department attempted to interview her five days after the search, Tillson declined and said she wanted to speak with her mental health worker, court papers show.

Court records show Tillson has been charged with driving while intoxicated twice. She was convicted of DUI in a February 2010 case and fined $300 after a Colchester police investigation, court records show. A DUI second offense charge was reduced to a negligent operation count for a January 2014 incident investigated by Williston police, records show. They indicate Tillson received a six- to 12-month suspended sentence, was placed on probation and fined $300.

The search

Court records suggest Tillson appeared more concerned about the media coverage than the welfare of the animals in her home. Tillson initially took care of animals, but suddenly in recent months had stopped talking about them, court records show.

Allen said that the day of the search, he reached Tillson by phone and explained why authorities were at the home.

Tillson “never inquired about the health or status of the animals and her only question was will the media know about this. I found that very concerning,” Allen said.

Five days later when she arrived at the sheriff’s office, Tillson was told authorities found only a small number of animals alive.

“She never inquired which animals were found alive or asked how they were doing. She said nothing about the other animals and the situation. She was concerned about the media learning about this and how the public would react,” Allen wrote. She said she wasn’t staying at the house because it was hot and the windows didn’t open.

Besides the 80 animals found dead during the search Sept. 21, an additional eight – four lizards, two rabbits, one hedgehog and one chinchilla — were discovered alive, Allen said. One rabbit died about a week later, Dr. Peggy Larson, a veterinarian, told The Islander.

The dead animals included fish, rats, a mouse, chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils and a lizard. Thirty of the dead animals were in a freezer, but the electrical power had been shut off for three days because of nonpayment, reported Essinger, the deputy sheriff. The unseasonably warm weather helped turn the metal trailer into an oven, said Essinger, who has been specially trained in animal abuse cases.

“During the process, it became evident that the remains of the majority (of animals) were severely decomposed, many reduced to bones and fur,” Essinger wrote. He said the trailer had a morgue-like smell.

Larson, who also has a law degree and was a prosecutor, said she conducted autopsies on most of the dead animals. Most died from lack of nutrition, she said. Larson said not much was left but fur and bones in most cases. She said it was the worst incident among the 15 cruelty cases she has been asked to respond to since she came to Vermont seven years ago.

“Probably the worst thing I have to work on are the hoarding cases. Because you walk into these houses and they are filled with debris,” she said.

Larson said she has seen in hoarding cases that people fill their cages back up with animals. Larson said she had pushed to have the cages taken away from Tillson.

“Thank God the prosecutor was able to accomplish this,” Larson told reporters outside the courthouse. “These hoarding cases are absolutely horrendous.”

Included in the court paperwork was an elaborate 10-column chart listing all 88 animals and indicating various items, including in what room they were found, the species, sex, body condition, weight, level of decomposition and clinical notes.

The complaint was filed by one of the landlords, David Gardner, who went to the property to mow the lawn Sept. 20, Essinger said. Gardner spotted scores of flies on the inside of the trailer’s windows and a notice from the power company on the door that it had shut off electrical service, the deputy said.

Gardner said he entered the trailer and took pictures of dead animals. Gardner described it as “wall to wall cages.”

Marcie Nash, a friend of Tillson’s, said she was not allowed in the trailer and thought the defendant was exaggerating when she claimed she had 30 animals in her home.

Sheriff Allen said he was alerted by South Hero Animal Control Officer Everett Dubuque about 5 p.m. Sept. 20 about the dead animals. A plan was developed to bring in all needed resources in the morning, but no mention was made that any might be alive.

It was only as experts began combing through the cages that a few animals were found alive. A living hedgehog was in the same cage as another that was dead.

One rabbit was described as very thin, hungry and thirsty, with prominent bones and long nails.

Some carcasses were in the refrigerator and the freezer, but with no recent electrical power they had all thawed and begun to rot, said Dubuque, the longtime animal control officer and retired deputy sheriff. 

Also at the search was South Hero Health Officer Anne Zolotas.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP #1:


VIDEO NEWS CLIP #2:

(VT Digger - Oct 25 2017)

Earlier:

• Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.
• Vermont: How massive case of alleged animal cruelty involving Ashleigh Tillson was uncovered

Tennessee: Three arrested for leaving children, disabled adult and pets in horrifying conditions; 3 dead cats suffered and died in squalor

TENNESSEE -- Three people are in jail after police discovered a home where two children, including a baby, were living in deplorable conditions.

Bartlett Police Department was called to a home on Mary Elizabeth Road on Friday for an animal cruelty complaint.

A man told police he went to evict the residents from the home when he found three dead cats in an upstairs bedroom.

He told police one of the cats had been decaying for a long period of time, and after walking around the home, he found large amounts of human and animal feces and urine.

Police determined that Nicole Cate was living there with her two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 7-month-old boy.

Police said both children were living with a large amount of feces and urine under their beds and throughout their rooms.

Police determined Cate, along with Rickey Moore and Winnie Kermick-Cate, intentionally exposed the children to awful living conditions.

Police even found a rabbit roaming around the home, trying to survive.

The police report also says Cate's mentally handicapped sister lived in the home but that her room was caged off. The report says feces were found on the wall and in buckets she reportedly had to use to go to the bathroom.

Rickey Moore, Nicole Cate and Winnie Kermick-Cate

Police say Kermick-Cate is also her primary caregiver. That's why she's also charged with aggravated adult neglect, according to the police report.

Police said Kermick-Cate's daughter was living in a room she never left. The room contained feces and urine stains on the walls and in a pile on the floor.

Moore told police he knew the home was disgusting; he had been living there on and off for two years. He said during that time, he never saw anyone give Kermick-Cate's daughter a bath or give her the opportunity to take a bath. He also told police she was locked in the room like an animal, even describing a time he repaired the lock on her "cage."

Moore told police he knew what was happened to her was wrong, but he didn't believe he had the right to say anything about it.

The two children and 33-year-old were released to live with the children's uncle.

Nicole Cate is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect.

Winnie Kermick-Cate is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect, and one count of willful abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult.

Rickey Moore is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect.

One more thing to note, the police report says Moore has a warrant out of Bartlett and a felony warrant out of Tipton County.

WINNIE KERMICK CATE ARREST INFORMATION:
Tennessee: Winnie Kermick
Full Name: Winnie C Kermick
Alias: Winnie Kermick-Cate
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 4'08"
Weight: 105
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Length: Medium
Eye Color: Blue
Marital Status: Single
Birthdate: 07/25/1959
(also listed as 7/25/1954)
Arrest Age: 58
Arrest Date: 09/27/2017
Arrest Time: 1:07 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Bond: $25,000
Charges
#1 ADULT ABUSE/NEGLECT/EXPLOITATION (FELONY)
#2 ADULT ABUSE/NEGLECT/EXPLOITATION (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#11 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#12 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)

NICOLE CATE ARREST INFORMATION: 
Full Name: Nicole Elizabeth Cate
Alias: Nicole Claire-Cate, Nicole Claire, Necci Cate, Necci Claire-Cate
Gender: Female
Race: White, non-Hispanic
Height: 5'02"
Weight: 147
Hair Color: Brown
Hair Length: Medium
Eye Color: Blue
Marital Status: Single
Note: she told police Rickey Moore is her husband
Birthdate: 07/24/1989
Arrest Age: 28
Arrest Date: 09/25/2017
Arrest Time: 7:08 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Bond: $25,000
Next Court Date: 03/01/2018, 09:00
Charges
#1 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#2 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)

NICOLE CATE'S PREVIOUS ARREST:
Arrest Date: 03/01/2017
Charges
#1 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#2 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#3 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#4 DRIVING U/INFLUENCE INTOX/DRUGS
#5 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#6 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#7 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#8 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#9 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#10 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#11 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#12 DUI - CHILD ENDANGERMENT
#13 DRIVING WHILE LICENSE S/R/C
#14 RECKLESS DRIVING

RICKEY MOORE ARREST INFORMATION:
Full Name: Rickey Moore
Gender: Male
Race: White, non-Hispanic
Birthdate: 08/24/1983
Arrest Age: 34
Date: 09/28/2017
Time: 5:20 PM
Location: Shelby County, Tennessee
Charges
#1 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#2 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#3 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#4 AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE (FELONY)
#5 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#6 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#7 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#8 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#9 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)
#10 AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (FELONY)

*  *  *  *  *  *

Bartlett Police Department Report # 1709220020
On 09/22/2017 at 18.00 hours, Officer B Stevens (BS459) responded to an animal abuse complaint at 3088 Mary Elizabeth Rd.

On arrival contact was made with the complainant, Vic Thayer, who stated he is a process server for Shelby County and he was at the above residence to evict the residents. Also on the scene were workers for the property management company who were assisting in the eviction process by removing all of the resident’s belongings and placing them on the front lawn.

Upon entering the residence, Mr Thayer was immediately overwhelmed with the smell of feces and urine throughout the residence. He stated that he had difficulty making his way into the residence due to the large amounts of trash that was blocking the front door.

Once his crew got into the residence and starting clearing out the furniture, they noticed large amounts of animal and human feces in piles throughout the entire house After several hours of emptying the residence, Mr Thayer and his crew located three (3) deceased cats in an upstairs room above the carport. 

At this time, he contacted BPD and animal control He then located a rabbit that was running loose throughout the residence. Officer Stevens arrived on scene and spoke with Mr Thayer Officer Stevens was able to view a video that Mr. Thayer took upon his initial walk-through of the residence. The video showed boxes and trash stacked halfway to the ceiling in the upstairs room where the deceased cats were found. Officers conducted a walk through of the residence and observed stains on the walls, carpets, ceilings, and floors of feces and urine throughout the entire residence.

Officers were only able to stay inside the residence for short periods of time due to the overwhelming smell of feces and ammonia from the urine. 

Officer Stevens made contact with one of the residents/suspect, Nicole Cate. Nicole stated that she lives at the residence with her husband/suspect Rickey Moore, her daughter/victim __ (age 7), son/victim __ (age 7 months old), her mother/suspect Winnie Cate, and her disabled thirty-three (33) year old sister/victim Amanda Cate. Nicole and her husband/suspect, Rickey Moore, live in the upstairs room to the right with their 7 month old son. Their daughter/victim, (age 7), lives in the upstairs bedroom to the left Nicole’s mother/suspect, Winnie Cate, lives in the back downstairs bedroom. The victim Amanda Cate, lives in the front downstairs bedroom next to her mother, Winnie.

In Amanda’s room, Officer Stevens observed rings on the carpet floor from a 5 gallon bucket. Mr Thayer stated that the buckets were removed from the house but that they contained human feces and urine next to where the bed was located. Feces and urine were on the wall and in a pile around where the bucket was located.

Amanda was not on scene at the time of this report, but Nicole advised that she is severely disabled and has the mental capabilities of a four-year-old. Amanda’s mother/suspect, Minnie, has custody of her and is her primary caregiver. She further stated that Amanda stays in her room, does not leave, and will use the buckets to defecate in.

Officer Stevens observed a large pile of animal feces and urine in the upstairs room where the deceased cats were located. One of the cats had decayed to the point in which it’s bodily fluid had begun to seep into the floor. 

The urine had also seeped through the floor and was leaking down the wall and ceiling into the room located below. In the 7-year-old’s room at the top of the stairs, officers observed a very large pile of animal feces underneath where her bed was located.

Officer Stevens made contact with Rickey. who stated that he knows the house is disgusting and stated that he has been living there on and off for two years.

In the two years that he has lived there, he has never seen anyone give Amanda a bath or give her the opportunity to take a bath. He stated that he has had to fix the gate on her “cage” before, but he does not go into her room very often. When asked about the “cage”, Rickey stated that Amanda was locked in her room like an animal and she was never able to get out. He knew that what was happening to Amanda was wrong, but he didn’t believe that he had any right to say anything about it.

Due to the residence having a large amounts of trash, human and animal feces throughout, and three deceased cats, officers determined that the two small children’s health and welfare were in danger. Both juveniles could not care for themselves, due to their ages.

Furthermore, officers determined that the suspects intentionally exposed the children and disabled adult to horrible living conditions that constitute a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary parent or custodian would exercise under normal circumstances.

Rickey Moore, Nicole Cate and Winnie Kermick-Cate

Rickey Moore and Nicole Cate were placed under arrest and both charged with Aggravated Child Neglect x2 and Aggravated Animal Cruelty x3. Winnie Kermick-Cate was also placed under arrest and charged with Aggravated Child Neglect x2, Aggravated Adult Neglect and Aggravated Animal Cruelty x3.

A computer search also revealed that Rickey Moore had a current felony warrant out of Tipton County and a FTA (Failure to Appear) warrant out of Bartlett County.

All three suspects were transported to the Bartlett Jail Animal control disposed of the dead cats and took the surviving rabbit to the animal shelter. Detective Dunlap was contacted and made scene. He spoke with the complainant suspects, and animal control. He took digital photographs on scene and placed them into evidence. Mr Thayer also provided digital photographs from inside the residence and they were placed into digital evidence. DOS was contacted and advised of the situation. The DOS agent provided report #745830988. Amanda and the two juveniles were released to their maternal uncle, Kirby Cate.

(WMC - September 28, 2017)

Vermont: How massive case of alleged animal cruelty involving Ashleigh Tillson was uncovered

VERMONT -- A man who went to mow a lawn made a gruesome discovery-- dozens of dead animals inside a South Hero home. He says the trailer's windows were shut and there was no power. Then, he went inside.

"The smell and the devastation, it was really bad," David Gardner said. "My lungs were not right for three days after."

The smell of 80 dead animals inside the house is something Gardner can't forget.

"When I went in, I found a lot of dead animals in cages and a lot of flies and a lot of fleas," he said.

Gardner and his family were renting out the home to Ashleigh Tillson, 30. Tillson now faces cruelty charges after police say they found 88 animals inside: birds, reptiles, fish and small mammals. All but eight were dead.

The Grand Isle Sheriff's Department says cases like this are rare in this community and this is the biggest one that they have seen. The lead investigator for the Humane Society says it's the saddest case they have seen.

Neighbors and people who frequently visit the area say they had no idea what was going on here.

"I didn't think anybody lived there," said Cyndi Reynolds of South Hero.

Polly Lee-Milton frequents the area to visit the graveyard across the street.

"I never saw any activity or anything," Lee-Milton said.

Travis Dubuque was picking up the propane tank at the property after he disconnected it over a month ago.

"It was bad a month ago; I had no idea what was going on inside the place," he said.

When WCAX News checked out the home, there were flies everywhere and a rotten smell emanating from the house. But we couldn't see inside because the building is boarded up.

Gardner says that he knows Tillson. She is his cousin's daughter. Gardner tells me he thinks she had good intentions and things just got out of hand. Right now, his focus is on the animals.

"Our concerns were the animals on the inside and that's all it really comes down to is that," Gardner said.

Ashleigh Tillson is due in court in three weeks.

We first reported on Tillson's arrest Wednesday night.

Since then, we've heard from several of people who gave their animals to Tillson who are concerned about their welfare.

We know that two rabbits, four lizards, a hedgehog and a chinchilla survived. They were taken to the Chittenden County Humane Society. We're told some of the animals are now staying with the volunteers who rescued them.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(VT Digger - Sept 28, 2017)

Earlier:

• Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.

Vermont: Ashleigh Tillson charged after 80 dead animals found. Ex-boyfriend reported her to Animal Control nearly 6 months earlier; they did NOTHING.

VERMONT -- A South Hero woman is facing animal cruelty charges after 80 dead animals were found in her trailer on South Street, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.

Ashleigh M. Tillson, 30, is due in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero on Oct. 19, Sheriff Ray Allen said.

Allen said the dead animals included rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles.

Eight other animals – four lizards, two rabbits, one hedgehog and one chinchilla — were found alive last Thursday, Allen said.

The story was first reported by The Islander newspaper in North Hero.

The landlord reported checking the property and spotted the windows covered with flies, the sheriff’s department said. The tenant had been absent for some time, the sheriff said.

“The landlord entered into the trailer and was overwhelmed by the odor inside,” Allen said in a statement.

The landlord reported seeing numerous animal cages and dead animals inside.

Deputy Sheriff Jason Essinger, South Hero Town Constable Everett Dubuque and Health Officer Anne Zolotas all responded to the scene, the sheriff said.

The Humane Society of Chittenden County removed the dead animals and planned to examine them, Allen said.

“There were some ferrets that were nothing left of them but fur and bones,” said Dr. Peggy Larson, a veterinarian, according to WCAX-TV.

The personnel from the various agencies wore respirators and protective clothing to search the trailer for animals with the tenant’s permission.

Allen said there was no electricity and all the windows were closed at the trailer, which is across the road from the South Hero Cemetery.

Tillson’s ex-boyfriend told investigators that she would ask him for money for bills but would use it to buy more animals.

Quicker action by animal control could have made a difference here. Court documents reveal that Tillson's ex-boyfriend called Grand Isle animal control back in May but got no response.

VIDEO NEWS CLIP:

(VT Digger - Sept 27 2017)

Arizona: Marie Spak, 22, arrested and charged with 21 counts of animal cruelty after dead animals found throughout home

ARIZONA -- Investigators have unearthed a horrifying case of animal cruelty in Prescott Valley.

Suspect Marie Spak, 22, is accused of keeping animals in deplorable and "disgusting" conditions. She faces 21 counts of animal cruelty.

Back in June, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer (ACO) was dispatched to an animal neglect complaint at a Prescott Valley home.

Spak had been leasing the home and had recently moved, and the real estate company had hired a cleaning crew to remove and replace the carpet.

But a cleaning crew member told animal control that he could smell dead animals as soon as he stepped out of his truck.

Inside the home, he saw feces on the walls and carpet. Checking further, the crew member found two dead rabbits locked inside a kennel in the master bedroom. Both were in an extreme case of decomposition.

The odor in the house was so bad the crew had to wear respirators to work.

When the animal control officer arrived at the scene and began checking the property, he came upon a shed emitting the distinct odor of dead/decaying flesh.

Inside the shed, the ACO opened a cardboard box and found a dead dog lying in feces and dried urine.

Behind the shed, the ACO located 5 dead adult chickens. 

In nearby trash cans, two more dead dogs were found wrapped in a shower curtain. 

Next to the trash cans, a plastic storage bin contained 10 dead baby chickens. 

Another dead dog was found in the yard the next day.

Records on a majority of the dogs indicate they had been adopted by Spak, according to the police report.

The investigation continued with the aid of a YCSO detective, who determined the dogs had been in poor health, malnourished, and neglected while in the care of Spak.

In photos of the dogs taken less than a year earlier, they appeared in good health and normal in weight.

The detective described the kennel containing the rabbits and another with a dead dog as “disgusting,” covered with feces and likely their ‘home’ while under Spak’s care.

The dead chickens were unkempt with their feathers matted and mangled.

The detective noted photos of scratch and bite marks on a door frame inside a bathroom covered in feces indicating a dog was likely in distress and trapped - and it desperately tried to escape before dying.

On August 22, 2017, detectives tracked down Spak at a home in Prescott.

She denied allegations of cruelty, claiming the deaths were caused by other external issues like "medical conditions and weather." 

She claimed to have made previous vet visits, but could not supply documentation. 

Spak was arrested for 21 counts of Animal Cruelty and booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center.

She has since been released on a $5,000 bond and is not permitted to care or house any animals.

She has already removed her Instagram account, but cached posts are still available:

(AZFamily - Aug 31, 2017)