Pamela Jean Blubaugh - Lewis County, West Virginia

Jun 22, 2010: Judge dismisses Lewis County animal cruelty case

An animal cruelty case in Lewis County involving the seizure of nearly 70 dogs has been dismissed.

Pamela Blubaugh, 48, of Ireland was indicted in November on 55 animal cruelty counts.

A Lewis County judge recently dismissed the charges after the investigating officer failed to provide a list to the court identifying each dog.

Deputies seized the dogs in March from Blubaugh's property and another location in the county..." More

Nov 7, 2009: W.Va. woman faces 55 animal cruelty counts

A Lewis County woman faces 55 counts of animal cruelty stemming from the seizure of nearly 70 dogs.

Pamela Jean Blubaugh of Ireland is scheduled to be arraigned Friday. She was indicted by the Lewis County grand jury.

Deputies seized the dogs in March from the 48-year-old Blubaugh's property and another location in the county.

In a March report to the County Commission, Weston veterinarian William Moodispaw said a barn and surrounding areas where the dogs were kept were "filthy, wet and in horribly foul-smelling [conditions].''

Nine dogs were euthanized. The others were taken to shelters across West Virginia.

Blubaugh had said she tried for years to find homes for the dogs but didn't get much help..." Link

Jackson Woman Faces More Charges of Hoarding Animals

Edna Deboard, 76, had been ordered to have no animals in her home after 50 were found there in January

by Nicky Walters

A Jackson County woman who was ordered not to own animals - has gotten herself in even more trouble.

Edna Deboard, 76, was arrested in January for having more than 50 animals in her home living in what authorities called "filthy" conditions.

At the time she was told not to get any more pets for at least five years.

But when Jackson County Sheriff's deputies searched her home recently they found more animals, police said.

Deboard now faces 12 additional counts of owning an animal after being convicted of animal cruelty.

She is free on bond..." More

Edna Deboard - West Virginia

May 2010: Jackson Woman Faces More Charges of Hoarding Animals

by Nicky Walters

Edna Deboard, 76, had been ordered to have no animals in her home after 50 were found there in January

A Jackson County woman who was ordered not to own animals - has gotten herself in even more trouble.

Edna Deboard, 76, was arrested in January for having more than 50 animals in her home living in what authorities called "filthy" conditions.

At the time she was told not to get any more pets for at least five years.

But when Jackson County Sheriff's deputies searched her home recently they found more animals, police said.

Deboard now faces 12 additional counts of owning an animal after being convicted of animal cruelty.

She is free on bond..." More

Feb 3, 2010: Shelter and Deputies animals from Silver Hills home

Jackson County Humane Officers, working in conjunction with Sheriff’s Deputies, seized 52 animals from a Silver Hills home last week after the animals were found to be living in conditions described as “filthy” and “nasty.”

According to Lt. A.J. Boggs of the Sheriff’s Department, last Monday, the Sheriff’s Department received a call from Animal Shelter Humane Office Cindy Katris with a complaint regarding the treatment of animals at the residence of Edna Deboard, 76, of Silver Hills, just outside of Ravenswood.

Katris, along with Boggs, Deputy B.L. Varney, and members of Adult Protective Services traveled to the home later that day to speak with Deboard.

Deboard allowed Katris to inspect inside the home, which Boggs described as “nasty.” Following the inspection, Katris determined the animals were living in unsanitary conditions and needed to go.

The following day, Katris, along with three other shelter employees, Boggs, Varney, and APS members returned to execute a search warrant and seize the animals located at the house.

According to Katris, there were 40 animals lodged inside the approximately 1,100 square-foot house, with additional animals located outside the home, all living in “unbearable feces and urine..." More”

Animal Control Task Force turns over report

By PAMELA BRUST

"...The Wood County Commission-appointed Task Force on Dog and Animal Control recommended cat licensing, expanding dog fees, as well as providing additional education and training on animal control issues...

...Commission President Rick Modesitt had no comment on the task force report.

"I've read through the report once, I'm going through it again, and looking forward to finding solutions for the animal control problems in the county," Commissioner Blair Couch said.

"The primary problems are the result of over-population and lack of funding," according to the report.

The task force recommended commissioners decide whether they want to continue funding the humane society's costs associated with the care and disposition of cats. For the long-term, the group recommended a fee be imposed on cat owners.

It was recommended the commission provide funds, possibly through grants, to develop a public animal control presentation for public education covering the problems, duties of officers, benefits of spaying/neutering, adoption of dogs and other animal control issues. The task force also recommended additional training for animal control officers, including search and seizure laws and customer service.

The commissioners were also advised to work closely with the Save A Kitty nonprofit Feral Cat Program and pursue cost-effective options to increase awareness and dog license collections. There was also a recommendation the commission seek legislative support to "update and expand the fee schedules for dogs and other animal control," including addition of a cat fee and a differential fee scale based on whether an animal is spayed or neutered.

The county is operating under the service terms of last year's contract after agreeing to pay the humane society an additional $21,972 on the existing contract to assure the agency would continue providing afterhours animal control services through June 30, 2010. The county and municipalities were notified, as of July, the society would cease providing those services, and the commissioners met with several private companies about employing them to perform afterhours services before reaching agreement with the humane society.

The county funds the humane society partially out of the general county fund and partially from the assessor's office dog tag fund. The additional money for the existing contract came from the county's cash carryover.

The society has also warned the county effective July 1, 2010, it would cease all animal control services for governmental entities if additional funds were not forthcoming. Between all the governmental entities, officials said nearly $200,000 is paid to the humane society for the services...." More