Two Salem residents have been charged with animal neglect for 87 cats discovered at their home in September.
According to court records, Sherie Adams, 53, was arraigned Wednesday along with Mitchell Farm, 52. They were charged with 87 counts each of animal neglect in second degree. This is for failing to provide minimum care to animals they have in their custody.
Three cats have died — one was found dead at the home, one had to be euthanized and a young kitten did not survive.
The Oregon Humane Society was contacted by the Salem Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to assist with getting the animals out of the home, located in the 1400 block of Larkspur Lane NW, and providing for their care.
Spokesperson Laura Klink stated that some cats are already fully recovered and are available for adoption at the Salem and Portland Humane Society campuses. 21 of the cats have already been adopted by the Salem campus.
Others may need extra care before they can be adopted.
“The health of the cats and kittens when they arrived is typical of what we see when they’re living in overcrowded conditions – upper respiratory infections, eye infections, weight loss, dental disease, fleas, skin conditions. Some have required surgery and other medical treatment,” Klink said.
Animal neglect is a Class C felony, meaning the pair could face up to five years in prison and a $125,000 fine plus fees for rescue expenses to the Salem Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Humane Society.
Jake Kamins, the prosecution attorney in the case, stated that if they are found guilty, their criminal histories would heavily affect the sentence.
Farm was sentenced three times to probation for harassment, assault and burglary in 1994, 1999 and 2004.
Klink stated that while the Humane Society doesn’t see cases involving this many animals, they do investigate cases involving at least 20 animals. According to KIink, OHS Law Enforcement investigated 1,461 cases in 2021.
Adams and Farm are currently on conditional release. They are scheduled to appear in court next Nov. 2.
from Salem – Salem Local News https://bit.ly/3MCtHUK
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.