Case Details
Case Snapshot
Case ID: 13272
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: cat
View more cases in IA (US)
Login to Watch this Case




For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Hoarding over 80 cats
Ottumwa, IA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Feb 29, 2008
County: Wapello

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Donnalee McCoy

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

An Ottumwa woman has been charged with animal cruelty and several other violations after authorities discovered more than 80 cats living in a house that the woman owns.

According to Ottumwa Police Chief Jim Clark, officers responded to a house at 417 S. Ash St., following an anonymous tip that a large number of cats were living inside the house.

After initially checking the premises, officers obtained a search warrant and found more than 80 cats and kittens inside the house along with four dogs.

Most of the cats appeared to be diseased or in very poor health, according to officials, and in order to keep other animals from being possibly infected with a potential disease, 69 of the cats were euthanized at the house. Additionally, four kittens and three adult cats were found dead in the house, police said.

Four dogs and four kittens were taken to a local veterinarian and the Ottumwa Health Department immediately placarded the house as unfit for human habitation.

The house owner, Donnalee McCoy, 64, 1013 E. Fourth St., was charged with three counts of cruelty to animals, four counts of failure to license dog, and one count each of sanitation of premises, confining animals and failure to have evidence of rabies vaccination. It is believed McCoy was not living at the house on South Ash.

Clark noted this is the third incident in the past two weeks where officers have responded to people hoarding large numbers of animals in the Ottumwa area.

Last week, more than 100 animals, mostly dogs, were discovered at a residence just east of Ottumwa.

Before that, nearly 30 animals were found living in squalid conditions at the North Court Pet Palace on Iowa Avenue.

Clark told the Courier he wants to encourage the public to continue reporting concerns about animal neglect and/or cruelty.

Clark said he believes there may be a psychological condition in which some people will horde animals.

Whether or not the three women accused in the three raids over the past two weeks were suffering from that condition remains unknown. Clark, however, said the bottom line has to be the well-being of those living with and near large numbers of animals.

�It�s a health issue,� he said, noting contiminants from animal urine and feces can be hazardous to both animals and humans.

All 10 charges against McCoy are simple misdemeanors with a fine up to a $500 or 30 days in jail on each count.

A court appearance for McCoy had not yet been scheduled as of presstime Friday, but it is likely she would appear in court sometime next week.


Case Updates

Donnalee McCoy, the owner of a property where more than 80 cats were found last week, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing next month.

McCoy, 64, faces a total of 13 counts in an indictment filed after authorities removed the cats from 417 South Ash St. Most of the cats were euthanized.

The Ottumwa Police Department filed charges of cruelty to animals (three counts), confining animals, failure to license dog (four counts), failure to have rabies vaccine (four counts) and sanitation of premises against McCoy after raiding the house.

City code defines the charges as simple misdemeanors punishable by fines of up to $500 or 30 days in jail. Magistrate Judge Lloyd Keith ordered the pretrial hearing for 9 a.m., April 15 in Wapello County District Court.

The case is the most recent of three high-profile animal welfare cases in the Ottumwa area from late February.

The first incident involved the Court Hill Pet Palace on Iowa Avenue, where officials discovered 29 animals living in inhumane conditions. The former owner of the pet store, Donna Marie Rhoades, pleaded guilty to four charges, including two counts of cruelty to animals. She was ordered to pay nearly $750 in fines.

Then last week, Suzette Kay Stocker, 60, Ottumwa, pleaded not guilty to 126 counts of animal neglect after law enforcement officials raided her rural Ottumwa home and discovered 112 dogs and 14 cats living in squalor.

Magistrate Judge Sam Erhardt has ordered a pretrial hearing for Stocker at 8:30 a.m., March 27 in Wapello County District Court.
Source: The Ottumwa Courier - March 7, 2008
Update posted on Mar 9, 2008 - 3:38PM 

References

Ottumwa Courier - Feb 29, 2008
KGAN
Ottumwa Courier - Feb 29, 2008

Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2008 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy