OMG....
200 animals seized from Preston County no-kill shelter July 1, 2006
BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (AP) — Preston County officials seized about 200 dogs, cats and rabbits from a no-kill shelter this weekend after finding many of them sick or starving.
The Star Ridge Ranch and Rescue had been the target of several complaints about the condition of its animals, county Humane Officer Joshua Bolyard said.
Bolyard, who is also a sheriff’s deputy, and county animal control officer JoDeen Johnnie had placed 61 of the animals at the county shelter Friday after giving them food and water. They hoped to recruit volunteers to remove the rest of them over the weekend.
Johnnie said she had not found a temporary home for all of the animals.
“We are seizing them and vetting them,” Johnnie said. “We have a vet who will evaluate them and make a decision... We don’t have enough room to keep them here.”
An online listing for Star Ridge Ranch and Rescue describes it as a 70-acre facility that also takes in horses and that works with two veterinarians and humane society volunteers.
A man who answered the phone listed for the shelter declined comment Saturday, referring questions to its owner. The owner also declined comment, saying that she has been convalescing out-of-state since February and was unaware of Friday’s raid.
The Preston County seizure follows one in Roane County involving 86 dogs taken from a Speed farm. Helen Franklin, 71, faces six counts of animal cruelty after officials there confiscated her animals last month.
On Thursday, Berkeley County Animal Control seized a pit bull and a second dog chained outside a Martinsburg residence after finding the pit bull with its mouth and head muzzled by duct tape. The animal nearly died of dehydration, officials there said, but is recovering.
