Dozens of animals seized from Kaufman County property

by SHELLY SLATER

Acting on anonymous complaints, the SPCA of Texas seized 39 cats, six horses, three dogs and two squirrels being kept as pets from a property near Mabank Thursday afternoon.

The SPCA said the cats were confined to a small room covered in feces and urine; the horses were kept in filthy stalls.

For the property owner, watching her animals being taken away was devastating.

"This is a situation of cruel confinement," said SPCA spokeswoman Maura Davies. "The animals seem to have food, water, and shelter, but there are about 30 cats being held in a 10 foot by 10 foot room; they're locked in — they have no way of escaping."

Investigators said the animal waste material in the residence sent ammonia levels "off the charts.".." More & video

Kathy Witzman, Humane Sanctuary Inc., - Gustavus, Ohio

Mar 15, 2010: Animal Welfare League Gets Help with Seized Animals

The Animal Welfare League has received a $2,000 grant to help pay for the care of more than 180 animals seized in the Gustavus animal hoarding case.

The American Humane Association announced the award Monday.

In total, 162 dogs, 18 cats, two horses and several ducks and chickens were seized during a Feb. 12 raid at the Gustavus home of Kathy Witzman.

During the raid, humane officials said they found pets chained or stacked in crates in a barn along with 50-gallon drums filled with animal corpses. In the owner's home, the floors were caked in feces and smelled of ammonia, they said.

Witzman pleaded no contest to a charge of animal cruelty, was fined and may not own or possess animals for five years..." More

Feb 16, 2010: Animal rescue saves 200+ animals from an Ohio animal sanctuary

By Stephanie Dearing

It was described as good intentions having gotten out of control. On Friday and Saturday, officials removed 162 dogs, 2 horses, 18 cats and an uncounted number of ducks, geese and chickens from an animal sanctuary in Ohio.

Trumball County, Ohio - 58 year old Kathy Witzman was arrested by police, and now faces up to 200 counts of cruelty to animals and one felony charge. The rescued animals are currently being checked by veterinarians to determine their condition, but authorities said one dog has died since the seizure, and another dog had to be put down. While officials knew they were going into a bad situation, they said they didn't know how bad it was. Police said they found a 55 gallon drum on Witzman's property filled with animal bodies, which resulted in the felony charge for Witzman. Some dogs were kept in small cages while others were tethered on short chains.

The animals are being kept in a warehouse until placements can be found for them. All the dogs will be evaluated for temperment before being adopted out. The Animal Welfare League worked with the Sheriff's Department to rescue the animals. The League has asked for help from groomers, animal handlers, and the public is asked to donate money, blankets and towels to help care for the animals.

The raid and rescue took place on Friday. Witzman operated a no-kill animal shelter that she called Humane Sanctuary Inc. The rescue took place after an investigation and weeks of planning. When officials arrived on Friday morning, they found Witzman's 97 year old mother living in the home, which they said was "deplorable conditions, filth, feces and animals living in there including two dead dogs that the others were feeding off of because they were huntry" said Barbara Busko, who is with the Animal Welfare League. Detective Harold Firster said.

"The dog feces had caked the floor almost like a carpet and the smell of ammonia was so pungent that it was very difficult getting the 97-year-old mother out of the house."...More

• Gustavus Woman Arrested on Animal Cruelty Charges
• Animal Cruelty in Youngstown
• Officials Arranging Care, Homes for Animals
• Sanctuary Owner Furious with Rumors of Animal Abuse

Jesse & Tina Kolb: Springville, Wisconson

Jan 30, 2010: Shelter seeks homes for 193 seized animals

By : Karen Madden

An out-of-court settlement has authorities hoping they can find good homes for nearly 200 animals seized in November.

Tina Kolb, 30, and Jesse T. Kolb, 33, both of the Adams County town of Springville, have agreed to transfer custody of 193 of the 197 seized animals over to the Adams County Humane Society. The animals include dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses and a ferret.

"The settlement was agreed to because it was in the best interest of the Adams County Humane Society, Adams County and, most importantly, the animals," said Brenda Merkle, Humane Society president. "Many of these animals will now be available for adoption and will be placed with the best suitable homes."

Dogs, cats, the ferret and guinea pigs are at the Humane Society. The rabbits are being cared for at the Adams County Fair Grounds by 4-H members. All the animals will be spayed or neutered before adoption, Merkle said.

The dogs were thin when they came to the shelter, she said. They are now taken for walks twice a day and are happy, healthy and have good temperaments. However, they're getting restless with the long-term confinement in the kennels.

"They really need a family, love, care and attention," Merkle said.

Jesse and Tina Kolb each are charged with three counts of child neglect, 10 counts of animal neglect and 10 counts of failure to provide proper food to a confined animal. If convicted of the 23 misdemeanor charges, each could face more than 17 years in jail. Both previously entered not guilty pleas to the charges and are scheduled for their next court appearance March 17..." More

Dec 30, 2009: Couple face cruelty charges

By Andy Steinke

Criminal and civil charges were filed recently against the Adams County couple whose children were taken away and whose 193 animals were seized from their home Nov. 11.

Jesse Kolb, 33, and Tina Kolb, 30, of the town of Springville, each were charged Dec. 14 with 10 counts of intentionally mistreating animals, 10 counts of intentionally failing to provide proper food for a confined animal and three counts of mistreating a child. All 23 criminal charges are misdemeanor offenses and carry a maximum penalty of $230,000 in fines and 17 1/4 years in prison..." More

Dec 26: 2009: Couple face 23 charges

By Andy Steinke, Dells Events

Criminal and civil charges were filed last week against the Springville couple who had their children taken away and 193 animals seized from their home Nov. 11.

Jesse Kolb, 33, and Tina Kolb, 30, were each charged Dec. 14 with 10 counts of intentionally mistreating animals, 10 counts of intentionally failing to provide proper food for a confined animal and three counts of mistreating a child. All 23 criminal charges are Class A misdemeanor offenses and carry a maximum penalty of $230,000 in fines and 17 1/4 years in prison.

Separate civil charges were filed Dec. 15 in an attempt to release the ownership of the animals to Adams County — specifically the Adams County Humane Society.

The couple’s initial court appearance to enter pleas for the criminal and civil charges is scheduled to resume Jan. 6, and Judge Charles Pollex may rule on the county’s petition to take ownership of the animals.

During the initial first appearance, the Kolbs requested an attorney and were appointed one by the court, Adams County District Attorney Mark Thibodeau said.

The investigation is ongoing, Thibodeau said, and additional charges could still be filed.

A number of dead animals were found on the Kolbs property, and according to Adams County Humane Society Manager Christina Ackerman a few of the rabbits have died since being seized.

A necropsy was performed on the animals found at the home, but results are still pending, Thibodeau said.

Adams County Sheriff Darrell Renner said the animals that were seized — two horses, 37 dogs, seven guinea pigs, one ferret, 13 cats and 133 rabbits — remain at the locations they were originally taken to: The horses at Central Wisconsin Save The Animal Group in Portage, the rabbits at the county fairgrounds and the rest at the Humane Society.

The animals are costing the county $5,000 per week to care for, county board Chairman Al Sebastiani said, which is why the board considered a resolution at its Dec. 15 meeting to pay the Humane Society $20,000 a month until the animals could be released from its care.

The resolution was tabled because Renner suggested at the county’s Safety and Judiciary Committee that his department pay for the animals’ care through the end of the year. The department’s 2009 budget was still in the black, so it could afford the expense for the remainder of 2009.

Sebastiani said if the board had passed the resolution, the county would have had to “dig for the money.”..." More

Nov 13, 2009: Adams County Struggling To Care For Seized Animals

Children Placed In Foster Care

TOWN OF SPRINGVILLE, Wis. -- The Adams County Humane Society is struggling to care for dozens of animals that were taken from a Town of Springville home Wednesday.

Authorities said three children at the home have been placed in foster care after Jesse Kolb, 33, and Tina Kolb, 30, were arrested Wednesday.

Jesse and Tina Kolb are facing 10 misdemeanor counts each of mistreating animals and three counts each of neglecting a child. They have been released on $5,000 signature bond.

Investigators said they aren't sure why the family was in a situation they described as "unlivable."

For a shelter that typically has about 20 animals, Christina Ackerman, manger of the Adams County Humane Society, said she is doing the best she can with more than 50 animals.

"There were dachshunds, labs, huskies. The huskies are in the worst shape by far," Ackerman said.

In all, 37 dogs of all ages and breeds were seized from the home, and Ackerman said the dogs are suffering from various stages of starvation.

"They are so hungry, but we have to be careful because if we feed too much at once you can really damage -- make them sick and injure them. So we try to feed, every hour or two, a cup to each animal," Ackerman saidIn addition to the dogs, 11 cats, seven guinea pigs, two horses and 133 rabbits are also in the county's custody after the animal seizure that county authorities said was like none they've seen.

"The conditions, some of the initial reports I got, were not fit for anyone to live in the house, because there were so many animals in the house and feces and different stuff on the floor and just in the residence itself," said Adams County Sheriff Darrell Renner.

The county and the Humane Society have to pay to care for the animals as the case works through the court system..." More & video

Pickett’s Pride - Houston, Texas

Houston SPCA rescues over 100 animals from breeder in Alvin

The SPCA rescued over 100 dogs and other animals from a breeder in Alvin Thursday night after discovering they were living in deplorable conditions.

Officials said some of the dogs and puppies were already dead when they got there.

There were so many animals, a big rig was used to haul them back to the SPCA in Houston.

Many of the dogs, which included dachshunds, Chihuahuas, American bulldogs and Pomeranians, were malnourished, SPCA officials said.

"Some of the animals had water. Some did not have water. Some of the animals were thin. Some of them looked like they had been fed. But all around, the conditions were just really, really horrible," Meera Nandlal of the SPCA said.

There were also horses, ponies and guinea pigs on the property that were rescued.

The SPCA said the breeder was cooperative, and it was not yet known what charges, if any, would be filed..." Video

Blog: American Bulldogs Seized in Houston from “Torture Chamber” & video

96 Starved Animals Seized In Cannon Co

By Dennis Ferrier

BRADYVILLE, Tenn. -- The U.S. Humane Association, the Cannon County Sherriff's Department and veterinarians were busy Tuesday making one of the biggest horse cruelty seizures in middle Tennessee history.

The Cannon County Sheriff's Office is obtaining a search-and-seizure warrant Tuesday to take up to 96 animals -- 84 horses, one mule, three roosters, four hens, two goats and two dogs -- from Charles E. Howland Jr.'s property.

The Humane Association, which has been working since Monday night, said the horses are in poor health and the farm is littered with 15 animal carcasses.

"What we're seeing is a pure case of animal cruelty and neglect," said Scotlund Haisley, Humane Society of the U.S. "I mean, we're talking about horses that are literally starving to death as we speak."

Twice as many animals than they expected were found..." More

84 horses confiscated from Cannon Co. farm & video

76 horses found starved

Animals seized from ranch near Pilot Point

By Donna Fielder

PILOT POINT — The horses ran across the bare, arid ground Friday morning and up to the fence when they saw people standing near their empty food buckets. The dozens of Arabian horses were starving and emaciated, but they were being rescued by Denton County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Seventeen other horses in stalls in the barn showed fewer signs of hope. Their feed buckets were long empty and there was no fresh water in sight. Standing in four to six inches of their own waste, avoiding pools of their own urine, they nevertheless put their muzzles up to the bars to be petted. Their ribs stood out, and their croups stood up in stark relief from their thin bodies.

These were the horses of Renazans Arabians. Sheriff’s deputies seized 76 of them from the ranch on Hub Clark Road and detained ranch owner Gordon Dennis Key. They obtained a warrant and planned to arrest him later Friday on a charge of cruelty to animals.

That charge is a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a possible fine of up to $4,000.

“We had a call yesterday from someone who saw the ‘for sale’ sign in front and drove in to look at the place,” said Patrol Capt. Mike Caley. “They saw the condition of some of the horses and called to report abuse. When we arrived, we found more in much worse condition than those in front.”..." More

Photo: Barron Ludlum