James Reich / Ignacio Dulzaides - Marion, Florida

Jun 5, 2010: Over 300 seized animals won’t be returned to owner, judge rules

By Austin L. Miller

A judge has decided to award to Marion County Animal Services the legal custody of more than 300 animals seized from a man nearly two months ago.

Judge Jim McCune ruled Friday that 64-year-old Ignacio Dulzaides is unfit to properly provide for the animals and therefore will be officially turned over to animal services.

The animals -- cattle, dogs, cats, birds, cows, horses, sheep, smaller pets and reptiles among others -- are already under the supervision and care of animal services.

Once the ruling becomes official, which should take about two weeks, spokeswoman Elaine DeIorio said the animals will either be sold or be offered for adoption. The cattle, DeIorio said, will be sold, with the rest ready for adoption.

Of the lot, the spokeswoman said 10 dogs had to be euthanized because they had diseases. Officials say none of the other animals will be euthanized unless it’s deemed necessary by a staff veterinarian..." More

May 22, 2010: Hearing on 370 seized animals is again postponed

By Austin L. Miller

A hearing to decide the fate of more than 370 animals found at home that were either neglected or malnourished has been postponed until early June, according to animal officials.

The extension is the third in as many weeks, as the first hearing was slated for May 5 in front of County Judge Jim McCune.

The second hearing was rescheduled for May 21 because the attorney for the man who had hoarded the animals, James Reich, wanted more time to get additional witnesses. The new date is June 3 at 1 p.m.

Authorities have determined that Ignacio Dulzaides, owner of the property where the animals were found at 4632 N.W. 100th St., was not the owner of six dogs, four Shih Tzus and two Pomeranians.

With that in mind, the county’s animal services has decided to return those animals to their owners...." More

Apr 21, 2010: Officials: Man hoarding animals one of 'worst'

Court records show that Ignacio Dulzaides, the man at the center of an animal hoarding case that local officials say is among the worst they've ever seen, has faced prosecution for animal neglect in the past.

In October 1995, the Marion County Sheriff's Office arrested Dulzaides on 32 counts of confining animals without adequate food after numerous ratite birds were found in poor condition at his former residence, 10651 N.W. 60th Ave.

Ratite are flightless birds such as emu and ostrich.

Dulzaides was acquitted of six misdemeanor counts during a jury trial.

The State Attorney's Office dropped the remaining 27 counts.

"That was a bunch of garbage. The charges should never have been brought. He didn't do what they accused him of doing," James Reich, Dulzaides' attorney in that case, said Tuesday.

But even Reich acknowledged that the recent situation, unlike the 1995 case, stirred something inside him.

"When I got out there and I saw what I saw, I had a natural reaction that human beings that love animals have. He had too many, I think," said Reich, the owner of a horse and a dog, who visited the property after receiving a call from Dulzaides' family members.

Dulzaides was taken to The Centers for a mental health evaluation Thursday evening, but it was unclear whether he was still in that facility's care. He did not respond to phone calls placed to his residence Tuesday. Those taken to the facility under Florida's Baker Act may be held for up to 72 hours.

Were it not for a Progress Energy employee tending to a power outage last week, Dulzaides' animal-carcass-strewn property may have gone unnoticed even longer..." More

Apr 17, 2010: Hundreds of live animals removed; 340 found dead

Austin L. Miller

Marion County Animal Services has removed more than 400 live animals and discovered more than 340 dead ones at a property at 4632 N.W. 100th Street. The live and dead animals include dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, sheep, cattle and horses, said officials.

Animal Services officials are labeling the case as one of the worst hoarding situations they have ever seen.

According to Animal Services, officials responded to the property after receiving a complaint from a Progress Energy employee who was working on a power outage in the area.

When Animal Services officials responded, owner Ignacio Dulzaides, 64, would not allow them on his property.

However, because Dulzaides was licensed to sell exotic birds, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission investigators were able to enter. When they did, they validated the report of extremely poor living conditions. Animal Services then obtained a warrant to enter Dulzaides' property and began their investigation...." More

Apr 17, 2010: Hundreds Of Dead Animals On 1 Property

Hundreds of animals have been found dead at one location in what investigators called one of the worst cases of animal hoarding ever.

Officials with Marion County Animal Services said workers removed about 750 animals, nearly half of which were dead, from a property in Reddick.

Workers said they found dogs, cats, birds, cows, horses, sheep and other smaller animals and reptiles living in deplorable conditions.

More than 340 animals were dead, some in cages right next to live animals. Workers said some were wrapped in plastic bags and placed in a freezer, while others were just in feed bags strewn around the property..." More & Video

Apr 16, 2010: Hundreds of Animals Seized From Marion Co. Property

Officials with Marion County Animal Services removed 400 living animals and another 340 dead animals from a Reddick home on Friday.

Officials say they found dogs, cats, birds, cows, horses, and sheep as well as reptiles on the property along Northwest 100th Street.

Animal Services was alerted to the issue after a complaint filed by an employee with Progress Energy who had responded to a power outage in the area.

The property's owner, 65-year-old Ignacio Dulzaides, initially wouldn't let Animal Services officials onto his property, but eventually the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission was able to get into the home and confirmed that animals inside were being mistreated.

The Marion County Fire Rescue Hazmat team also responded to the scene and declared several buildings on the property unsafe to enter without a respirator..." More

42 counts of animal cruelty at Nevada farm

In one of the worst cases they can remember, state officials in Nevada have cited a Battle Mountain woman for 42 counts of animal cruelty for neglecting more than 100 barnyard animals, including 35 starving horses.

Two horses, three llamas, three goats and two sheep died on the rural property about 220 miles northeast of Reno.

Jan Lemley faces a $1,000 fine for each count in the citation. She told the Battle Mountain Bugle Wednesday she had no comment.

Nevada Agriculture Department spokesman Ed Foster says a state veterinarian became sick upon arrival at the scene last weekend. He says "it's the worst case of animal cruelty they've ever witnessed."

At least one goat died from ingesting wool from a sheep carcass because it had nothing else to eat..." Link

More Than 100 Neglected Animals Found at Nev. Farm

"...Jan Lemley of Battle Mountain faces 42 counts of animal cruelty. Each count carries a civil fine of $1,000, said Nevada Department of Agriculture spokesman Ed Foster...."

Animals seized in area's largest hording case recovering

By Fred Hiers

The animals that were seized in Marion County’s largest animal cruelty case in recent memory are recovering. The animals’ former Citra owners will likely not fare as well.

Marion County spokeswoman Christy Jergens said Animal Services officials will soon recommend to the State Attorney’s Office charges against the couple that allegedly kept the 432 live animals in horrifically filthy conditions until their rescue last month.

“They have not been arrested but we are planning to go ahead with charges,” Jergens said.

“With so many animals, we’ve been trying to get them all settled in, get them vaccinated. The focus has been on that,” she said.

Along with the living animals at the 7680 NE 192 Pl. home of Ileana Verguizas and Andrew Gonzalo Perez, 15 dead animals were also found.

Some of the animals, which included dogs, cats, goats, quail, chickens, geese, ducks, sheep, rabbits, snakes, parrots and turtles, were found by county investigators to be living in filthy cages and pens, and their fur matted with feces and riddled with fleas. Of the living animals, almost half were kept inside the 2,200 square-foot home..." More

Deputies seize goats, sheep and horse in Douglas County

OAKLAND, Ore. -- Sheriff's deputies seized 28 goats, a sheep and a horse after finding dead animals decomposing on the property and in animal barns, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

On Tuesday, deputies served a search warrant at a Feather Lane residence in Oakland, Ore., accompanied by two members of the Humane Society of the United States and a veterinarian from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The animal owners were cooperative and showed the deputies around the property.

The veterinarian determined that the cattle, pigs, horse, goats and fowl all appeared to have been fed adequately, according to the sheriff's office.

However, several of the goats were found to have severe neglect on their hooves, causing some to have to walk on their knees or just hobble around. Some had respiratory problems. A horse on the property also had severe hoof neglect.

Investigators also found some dead animals decomposing on the property and a couple in the animal barns.

Investigators seized 28 goats, 1 sheep and 1 horse. The goats and the sheep were taken to Saving Grace Animal Shelter for care and medical treatment. The horse was being sheltered at a local horse rescue organization..." More

Video

West Haverstraw man refuses to pay vet bill for seized animals

BY AKIKO MATSUDA

WEST HAVERSTRAW - A West Haverstraw man who was convicted of animal cruelty is rejecting a request from the prosecutor that he pay $17,000 to the veterinarian who cared for his animals seized from his home.

After a weeklong trial before West Haverstraw village Justice Kevin Russo, Robert Everle, 60, was found guilty of the 13 misdemeanor charges.

Everle faces a maximum of two years in jail, a loss of his animals and financial penalties when sentenced at 2:30 p.m. August 11.

Everle was arrested about a year ago after authorities raided his property at 48 and 50 N. Wayne Avenue, where Everle kept more than 100 animals, including rabbits, puppies, kittens, sheep, rams, pigeons and ducks.

Prosecutor Anthony Dellicarri recently sent a letter to Richard Novick, the attorney representing Everle, stating that at Everle's sentencing, he would be requesting the judge order Everle to pay $17,000 in restitution to The Vet at The Barn, who took care of Everle's animals after they were seized.

Dellicarri suggested in the letter that if Everle started paying the bill, his sentence could be mitigated.

Everle said his animals were illegally seized so that he was not responsible for the bill..." More

Va. Woman Pleads Guilty to Animal Cruelty Charges

A King George County woman has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and neglect charges after dozens of dead or severely malnourished animals were found at her home.

Forty-year-old Iris Marie Hedrick pleaded guilty Thursday to 16 misdemeanor counts. In return for the pleas, four felony charges were reduced.

Hedrick remains free on bond until she is sentenced Oct. 23.

Authorities went to Hedrick's home Jan. 2 in response to an anonymous tip and found dead or dying dogs, cats, birds, goats, rabbits, pigs, sheep and a cow.

Hedrick's attorney said she was an animal lover who once worked for an animal rescue league in California. She said Hedrick has a history of taking in unwanted animals and ended up overwhelmed with too many..."  More

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51 animals seized from Pemiscot County residence

KAIT TV

STEELE, MO - A 14 month investigation leads Caruthersville Humane Society to seize 51 animals from a home Monday morning.

The warrant was served on a residence on county road 437 just north of Steele, Missouri. When humane society officials arrived, they say they found several animals in various stages of decomposition.

51 animals, including 23 dogs, 6 kittens, 16 goats and sheep and 6 horses were removed..." More