Hoarding - 86 animals seized
Vinco, OK (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Sep 24, 2009
County: Payne
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Martuan L. Middleton
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A former West Plains resident busted in 2001 for keeping hundreds of dogs and cats in squalid conditions near her home now faces similar accusations.
Authorities in Payne County, Okla., say they found 86 malnourished, filthy dogs in the care of Martuan L. Middleton last week.
The woman, who lives in the small town of Vinco, Okla., has been charged with a felony count of cruelty to animals.
Court documents indicate the animals -- 84 dogs and two cats -- were malnourished, crawling with parasites and caked with feces. Six of the dogs had to be euthanized.
Those allegations are nearly identical to what Howell County authorities found when they served a search warrant on Middleton’s West Plains home eight years ago.
In July 2001, deputies and Missouri Department of Agriculture officials seized more than 200 dogs and cats from the woman’s unlicensed breeding facility.
Some of the animals were missing limbs. Authorities found a dead horse and nine dead dogs at the scene.
“Obviously I love the animals or I wouldn’t have them,” Middleton told a reporter at the time. She added she planned to move away from Missouri, and that she’d stop breeding animals.
In 2002, Middleton -- whose first name was spelled Martaun in the Missouri case -- wound up pleading guilty to 15 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse in that matter, and successfully served two years of unsupervised probation, court documents show.
If convicted of the pending felony count, she could face up to five years in prison.
Case UpdatesA woman charged with animal cruelty will appear in the Payne County District Court at 9 a.m. Monday.
Martuan L. Middleton, 58, faces one felony charge of cruelty to animals and will have a preliminary hearing before Judge Phillip Corley on Monday morning.
On Sept. 17, 84 dogs and two cats were found at 14212 S. Stanton St. in Vinco, according to court documents.
The animals were malnourished and suffering from various medical problems due to neglect. Two dogs were dead upon arrival to the Oklahoma State University Animal Hospital, and six had to be euthanized to relieve animal suffering, according to the documents.
Animal Welfare officers assisted in seizing the animals, Animal Welfare Division Shelter Director Mary Dickey said.
She said that Animal Welfare was asked by Payne County Sheriff’s Department if some of the dogs could be fostered, but initially none could be taken due to space at the shelter. Animal Welfare has only 13 holding kennels, leaving only nine kennels to hold strays. After a bond hearing, the dogs were released by the court to Animal Welfare.
While majority of the 76 remaining confiscated dogs are either adopted or in foster homes, 18 were adopted out by Payne County Undersheriff Gary McKinnis and four must remain at the Animal Welfare Division until the case is over.
OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Director Mark Neer said both of the cats have been adopted, but there are still dogs from the case available for adoption at the Stillwater Humane Society, SHS Director Jackie Ross-Guerrero said.
The animals were mostly adopted by personel from the OSU vet school, Payne County Sheriff Department and word of mouth, Neer said.
He said that about 80 percent of those who have provided foster homes to the animals kept them as pets. The rest of the foster homes return a few dogs at a time each week to Animal Welfare and SHS in order not to overwhelm both shelters, Dickey said.
SHS originally received 11 cocker spaniels and two dachshunds, Jackie-Guerrero said. She said that five cocker spaniels and one dachshund have been adopted and SHS expects to receive three more dogs from foster care soon.
The Humane Society of Stillwater is currently taking applications for the rescued dogs. To view the adoptable rescued dogs, visit www.petfinder.com. | Source: Stillwater News-Press - Nov 7, 2009
Update posted on Nov 9, 2009 - 2:11AM |
References
« More cases in Payne County, OK
|
