Animals abandoned, several found dead
Salisbury, NY (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Sep 15, 2007
County: Herkimer
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Anna Senape
A missing persons report and a welfare check on a Salisbury woman led to her subsequent arrest for animal cruelty after she was located near Syracuse.
Anna Senape, 41, of 170 Upper Bungtown Rd., was charged with one count of animal abuse after an investigation of her home resulted in the discovery of several animal carcasses - dogs, cat and goats that had been abandoned by her - both inside and outside of the home.
Her case had been handled as a missing person report until she was located in the Syracuse region by New York State Trooper Edward Jones from Troop D, who conducted the investigation. She had gone unseen from the residence several months.
The investigation began as a welfare check of Senape, because her neighbors were concerned they had not seen her in several months.
Jones had probed the case several hours before entering the residence concerned that Senape may have been in harm's way.
"It was not a good situation to walk into," Jones said. "It was very disturbing. Once I discovered the animals, I called for back-up and returned with a responding supervisor."
Outside Senape's home, various animals were in kennels, severely decomposed and beyond recognition.
A step inside brought more bodies to view, including four dogs, two cats, what is believed to be a large dead goat and two living goats in fairly good health. Jones said the reason they lived is because they were kept in the cellar and were able to graze freely in the absence of their owner.
"You have to understand, with any decomposing carcass there was bones and hair," Jones said, which indicates the animals had been alone for some time. "After conducting several interviews, I was able to locate Anna. In speaking with several of her friends and obtaining several phone numbers and additional information, I found her. She was staying in the Utica area in a motel, and commuting back and forth to a job in Syracuse."
Senape told state police that there had been a miscommunication as to who was the caretaker for the animals.
"She claimed to be under the impression that a friend was looking after the animals and had relocated most, if not all of them," Jones said.
The animals in the outer kennels had died before she moved, Senape told Jones. She was aware of their bodies.
Although she confessed to knowing that the bodies of the animals outside her residence were there, Jones said he is waiting for answers from professionals in animal cruelty laws and regulations. "The process of getting rid of deceased pets, it seems, would more than likely be more like burial than just being allowed to leave them there," Jones said. "But we're not experts in this field, and this kind of crime doesn't happen every day around here. That's why we've consulted additional professionals' help. We're looking up different laws we're not used to, and applying them to the situation needs the opinion of experts in animal abuse cases."
According to Senape, she still maintains the residence in Salisbury, despite staying in the motel room in Utica. With no nearby family and a husband who died several years ago, she claimed to have depended on the help of friends to dispose of the animals.
Senape was arraigned in Salisbury Town Court and released on her own recognizance to reappear in court at a later date. References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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