Attorneys/Judges
| Judge(s): | Suzanne M. Upton |
CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #13677 Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Puppy mill - 165 dogs seized
Gaston, OR (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 24, 2008
County: Washington
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Carolyn A. Ohlhauser
» Jennifer Ann Maplethorpe - Acquitted
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
The Washington County Sheriff's Office cited a Gaston woman on animal neglect today after deputies confiscated 165 dogs, four birds and two horses from her home.
Carolyn Ohlhauser had more than 150 Chihuahuas in small, feces-covered cages and kennels that filled one floor of her home, said Sgt. David Thompson, a sheriff's spokesman.
The 59-year-old is a registered AKC breeder and was last inspected in 2002, Thompson said. Her daughter and three grandchildren were living upstairs.
"I think she was breeding dogs pretty successfully, and then for whatever reason, the upkeep got away from her, and things went downhill," he said. Despite the filth, all of the dogs appeared to be well-fed and healthy.
Ohlhauser forfeited her rights to the animals, which were transported to the Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter. They will be held one to two weeks, then put up for adoption.
The shelter is accepting donations of dog food or money. For information, call 503-846-7041.
Case UpdatesA former Gaston resident was sentenced to five years of probation Monday for letting more than 140 dogs -- mostly Chihuahuas -- live in their own feces and urine.
Carolyn Ohlhauser, 60, was convicted of 19 counts of second-degree animal neglect involving dozens of Chihuahuas and a few other dogs living in the rat-infested lower level of her home, which was caked with the dogs' feces and urine.
Ohlhauser also was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and must pay $10,000 in fines to cover veterinary costs and upkeep for the 143 dogs, four exotic birds, two horses, and 10 chickens that were removed in April from her property at 53519 S.W. Patton Valley Road in rural Washington County.
Ohlhauser, a registered breeder, has since moved to Corvallis to live with her father. She will serve probation in Benton County, must undergo a mental evaluation and treatment, and will not be allowed to own a domestic animal for five years. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Suzanne M. Upton said she will allow Ohlhauser's father to keep the two cats he owns while his daughter lives there.
More than 50 of the Chihuahuas have been adopted from the Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter, which fed and cared for all the animals. The rest were sent to other rescue groups and animal shelters.
Ohlhauser's daughter, Jennifer Ann Maplethorpe, 35, also faced multiple charges of animal abuse and neglect, as well as three counts of criminal mistreatment. She was acquitted on all charges.
Ohlhauser could have received consecutive six-month prison sentences for each count of animal neglect. Her attorney, Terrance Hall, argued that because she is depressed and disabled she let the upkeep of the animals and house slip.
"I provided the best care possible," Ohlhauser said in court Monday. "I'm sorry that the house went downhill so bad, but we were trying to take care of the dogs."
Upton called the housing situation deplorable.
"You were not seeing the harm you were causing these animals," Upton said. | Source: The Oregonian - Dec 1, 2008
Update posted on Dec 1, 2008 - 8:53PM |
A woman and her daughter have pleaded not guilty to abusing dozens of dogs and allowing their children to live in filth in what authorities described as a "puppy mill."
Carolyn A. Ohlhauser, 60, a registered AKC breeder, ran a kennel at her Cherry Grove home. She was arraigned Wednesday on four counts of second-degree animal abuse, six counts of first-degree animal neglect, 38 counts of second-degree animal neglect, one count of second-degree criminal mistreatment and one count of tampering with evidence.
Her daughter, Jennifer Ann Maplethorpe, 34, was arraigned Wednesday on three counts of first-degree animal abuse, four counts of second-degree animal abuse, six counts of first-degree animal neglect, 25 counts of second-degree animal neglect and three counts of second-degree criminal mistreatment.
Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff's Office and officials from the county Animal Control raided the breeding operation on April 24 at 53519 S.W. Patton Valley Road in rural Washington County.
Authorities said they found more than 100 Chihuahuas in small crates and open pens set up all over the rat-infested house. The dogs were living in their own excrement and urine, and the entire lower level of the house was caked with feces, deputies said. Several large-breed dogs, two horses and four exotics birds also were found at the location.
Washington County Deputy District Attorney Judith Brant said Maplethorpe lived at the site with her three minor children, which resulted in the criminal mistreatment charges.
Ohlhauser was charged with criminal mistreatment for allowing her adult son, who has a mental-health condition, to live at the filthy home, Brant said.
A hearing was scheduled for June 6 to decide if Maplethorpe may have contact with her children, who are now in state custody. A pre-trial hearing for both women is scheduled for June 30. | Source: Oregon Live - May 30, 2008
Update posted on May 30, 2008 - 12:16PM |
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