Hoarding 60 cats, 22 wild animals, more
Marsing, ID (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008
County: Owyhee

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Sandy Knox

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

More than 20 wild animals were removed from a woman's home in Owyhee County on Wednesday after officials said public safety became a problem.

Owyhee County Sheriff Gary Aman said officials removed 17 wolves and five bobcats from the residence of Sandy Knox. The project was several months in the making and took volunteers and responding agencies around 10 hours.

Aman said Knox, 74, has owned the animals for about 14 years. But due to her declining health, she can no longer properly care for them and decided to give them up.

"I imagine this was horribly traumatic for her," Owyhee County Sgt. Gary Olsen said. "She's not an evil person or anything; she loves them."

Though Knox has legal permits for the wolves and bobcats, the animals were being held in worsening living conditions that were creating a problem for the community and the animals, Aman said.

"The conditions were degrading rapidly. The animals were healthy, but in another month they wouldn't have been," Aman said.

Rather than charging Knox with cruelty to animals, Aman said officials sought a solution to the problem that would help everyone.

"A lady of her age and health - I don't want to put her in the criminal justice system, but I also want to keep the community safe. This is a win-win situation for everybody, including the animals," he said.

Aside from the 22 animals removed Wednesday, Aman said Knox still has several animals on her property, including at least five hybrid dogs (part dog, part wolf), numerous domestic dogs, more than 60 cats, a goose and a few chickens. Aman said officials are still working out a solution for those animals, which remain in the bad conditions.

Aman said officials allowed Knox to keep four animals - two wolves and two bobcats - which are "getting aged."

Taking a few animals at a time, the wolves and bobcats were tranquilized and transported from Knox's home to the fire station about a mile away. There, medics from numerous agencies gathered to give the animals medical exams, vaccinations and blood tests. Officials planned on sending the wolves late Wednesday to wildlife shelters in Winchester, Idaho, and Florida while the bobcats will be relocated to a refuge in Nevada or Utah, Aman said.

This isn't the first time Knox's wolves have made headlines. Just in November, Aman said one of the wolves escaped Knox's residence, then killed a few domestic animals and was seen hovering near children boarding a school bus. Since that incident, law enforcement has been working with Knox "trying to get some satisfactory result," Aman said.

Knox would not speak to the press, Aman said, as this was a difficult decision for her.

"This is really bothering her, she really doesn't want to do this ... we're respecting her wishes," he said.

Those involved in removing the animals are the Owyhee County Sheriff's Office, Idaho Fish and Game, United States Department of Agriculture and the Idaho Humane Society. Several individual volunteers also helped rescue the animals.

"The local quick response came out, we're using the fire shed, and a lot of volunteers helped out. It's been a very good effort by everybody," Aman said.

Case Updates

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