Chester County: Wanda Oughton

Dec 18, 2009: Chester Township sues cat hoarder for failure to pay removal costs

By Jim Lockwood/Photo: Frank H. Conlon

CHESTER TOWNSHIP -- A Chester cat hoarder who harbored dozens of cats in her filthy, feces-strewn million-dollar home is being sued by the township for failing to pay monthly payments toward the $22,000 restitution owed for the removal and care of the felines.

Wanda Oughton is named as the defendant in a lawsuit by Chester Township that was filed Wednesday and made public today in Superior Court in Morristown..." More

Aug 24, 2009: Chester Twp. tables cat-hoarding ordinance

BY ELLEN S. WILKOWE

CHESTER TWP. — A local ordinance that would have restricted the number of cats per single-family home to six has been tabled and the council will wait to see what happens with animal hoarding legislation that is before the state legislature.

"We did not want to create something to punish people," said Mayor William Cogger. "We want to create a method for intervention and are exploring other options.'

The township council had considered a preliminary ordinance, "Keeping of the Cats," that would have required residents obtain a waiver if they wished to own more than six cats over the age of six months. Pet owners in violation of the ordinance would have faced a $100 fine per animal, per offense.
The proposed ordinance came on the heels of a case in which 180 cats were found living in crowded, feces-covered conditions in a Farm Road home in March. The homeowner, Wanda Oughton, 62, has pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty charges for failing to provide adequate shelter to the cats recovered from her million-dollar mansion..." More

Jun 14, 2009: Hoarder in Million-Dollar Home Charged with Cruelty : 150 cats abused

By: Stephen Wells, Animal Legal Defense Fund

Illustrating that the roots of animal hoarding are pathological and not financial, approximately 150 cats were discovered in March 2009 at Wendy Oughton's million-dollar home in Chester Township, New Jersey. Ms. Oughton is now facing over 90 criminal charges of animal cruelty related to animal hoarding.

Jun 5, 2009: Morris County adoption events scheduled for 150 cats rescued from Chester home

'Cat lady' hearing delayed as North Jersey township seeks $42K in restitution for 150 cats removed from home

Municipal Court Judge Philip Maenza postponed Wanda Oughton’s court date to June 18 after her attorney, Lawrence Fox, received for the first time the expenses incurred for veterinary care, litter, food and other supplies related to getting a shelter up and running since the 150 cats were seized from her Farm Road home. The expenses total $42,650..." More

May 11, 2009: Morris County adoption events scheduled for 150 cats rescued from Chester House

CHESTER TOWNSHIP: When authorities began removing cats from Wanda Oughton's Chester Township home two months ago, the felines hid in the corners of pet carriers, their paws covered in their own feces.

Those cats -- about 150 of them -- had been living amid toxic piles of excrement in Oughton's $1 million house, and many of them never knew how it felt to be clean or even touched by a human, much less cuddled and coddled, said Ann DeSombre, animal control officer for Morristown..." More

April 23: Number of rescued Chester cats grows to 151

April 16: Outlook is bright for cats rescued from filthy Chester home

April 15: 71 more cats taken from Chester home of woman charged with animal cruelty

March 27: Chester Twp. woman accused of hoarding 93 cats faces animal cruelty complaints

Chester County: Tails of Cruelty

By: Danielle Lynch

Dec 15, 2009: Legislators weigh in on animal cruelty

Some animals in Chester County, similar to other areas of the country, are victims of abuse.

Animal cruelty includes dogfighting, neglect, starvation, hoarding and beatings.Despite a lack of national statistics on animal abuse, Phil Arkow, a consultant for the American Humane Association, said he's noticed more awareness of the issue..." More

Dec 13, 2009: Fighting * neglecting * hoarding * beating * starving

Chester County, like every corner of this country, has its share of animal cruelty cases, including dogfighting, neglect, starvation, hoarding and beatings.

"I don't know if (animal cruelty) is on the rise because there is no national tracking of statistics," said Phil Arkow, a consultant to American Humane Association, a national federation for animal and child protection. "But I do know there is much better awareness out there."

Many animal protection agencies and activists turn to online statistics compiled by Pet-Abuse.com.

"Statistically, nobody is really keeping track," said Alison Gianotto, president and founder of Pet-Abuse.com.

Gianotto, of Southfields, N.Y., began tracking the data in 2001 after someone stole her neighbor's cat, Bert, and set him on fire. This act of cruelty occurred in Del Mar, Calif., where Gianotto once lived.

"I started looking online and couldn't find a lot of resources and a whole lot of statistical information that was organized in way that could be helpful," she said..." More

Dec 11, 2009: Tails of Cruelty (II)

During the past two months, I've worked on a countywide series about the multifaceted issue of animal cruelty in Chester County. The focus has been on local cruelty cases and the agencies and individuals who help animals recover from abusive situations.

Suzette Nicolini, a dog trainer and behavior counselor, discussed tips for people who are interested in adopting an animal that was formerly abused. Two of Nicolini's dogs were victims of abuse. Her pit bull-corso mix named Scarlett was being used as a bait dog. Her Neapolitan mastiff named Si-Si was starved by a former owner.

The series includes an update about Emma and Luna, the dogs that were shot to death execution-style and placed tail-to-tail by railroad tracks in late October. The reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction is now $25,000.

An article about Michael Vick, the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles who served time in federal prison for bankrolling a dogfighting operation on his property in Virginia, will be included in the series. I talked to Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, about his visit with Vick in federal prison. I also talked to Ann Allums, a dog trainer at the Best Friends Animal Society in Utah, who has been taking care of about 20 of Vick's former dogs..." More

Dec 10, 2009: Tails of Cruelty

Beginning Sunday, the Daily Local News will run a three-part series about the multifaceted issue of animal cruelty. Award-winning Daily Local News reporter Danielle Lynch wrote the series, "Tails of Cruelty," after investigating and researching the topic for two months.

The series includes articles about animal cruelty laws and the known link between abuse to pets and humans. A local dog trainer provides tips to people interested in adopting an animal that was formerly a victim of abuse..." More