Animal Abuse: Over 175 dogs seized from rescue, skeletons found - Preston, MS

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Case ID: 17427

Classification: Hoarding

Animal: cat, dog (non pit-bull)

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Over 175 dogs seized from rescue, skeletons found
Preston, MS (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010
County: Kemper

Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 8 files available

Person of Interest: Virginia Robinson

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Rescuers who seized scores of dogs from a Kemper County animal adoption organization this week also found about seven dead animals and skeletal remains scattered across the property.

They found about 170 dogs and four cats Tuesday during the raid on Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary in the rural community of Preston, Sheriff James Moore said Wednesday.

"We have a few more (animals) to get at the house; there are still some hanging around there," Moore said about the three-acre site located on Mississippi 495.

Responding to complaints about the site, sheriff's deputies arrested Virginia Robinson, 56, who operated Raven's Hope at her home, where she kept the animals in what rescuers described as filthy, crowded conditions.

She was charged with disorderly conduct, but since has met bond of about $200, and been released, Moore said.

"She has agreed to stay away from her home with a friend for now, until we complete our work," Moore said.

The sheriff's investigation is continuing, and more charges against Robinson, including animal cruelty, are possible, Moore said.

The animals are in the custody of the Kemper County Sheriff's Department, which is working with the Humane Society of the United States to place them with rescue groups across the country, said Jordan Crump, spokeswoman for the organization, which is based in the Washington, D.C., area.

Robinson has requested custody of three of the indoor dogs, Crump said.

"The sheriff is to decide on that," Crump said.

About 30 people from the Humane Society, the Jackson-based Mississippi Animal Rescue League and United Animal Nations participated in the raid.

"Adam (Parascandola, with the Humane Society) is our hero," MARL Director Debra Boswell said. "We called for help, and he brought the troops."

Some of the animals were taken from outdoor pens on the property and others from inside a house steeped in garbage and reeking of animal waste.

Volunteers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Tampa also are helping place the animals, Crump said.

Some of the dogs are afflicted with mange, leg injuries, wounds and secondary skin infections, Boswell said

For now, they are being kept in a temporary, emergency shelter in nearby De Kalb, where veterinarians are examining, treating and vaccinating them.

The rescue operation could take a few more days, Crump said. "It's definitely a rough situation, but the dogs at the emergency shelter have been sleeping all day, enjoying their comfortable, clean pens, and warming up to their caretakers."

Two puppies found alive Tuesday have died, Crump said.

"They were 3 or 4 days old. We lost them even after they received medical attention. They had been in unsanitary conditions; they were very weak," Crump said.

"We also found an untold number of remains on the property. I couldn't really say how many. There were whole skeletons lying about, and bones that looked to be canine."

At least four pregnant dogs also were found, she said.

About 10 dogs escaped rescuers Tuesday, even after emergency officials donated floodlights toward the effort as darkness fell.

"The dogs were so stressed out and spooked, they went back into the woods, and it was hard to catch them in the dark," Crump said.

MARL will give shelter to a couple of the cats, Boswell said. "But we don't have the staff or the funds to take on a lot of rehab for mange treatment and other infections."

Boswell's organization will help assess the condition of the animals.

"For the most critical ones, we'll make recommendations to the Humane Society on whether it's kinder to treat them or put them down," she said.

Case Updates

Virginia Robinson, the Preston woman whose home was raided by the Humane Society of the United States and the Kemper County Sheriff's Department in 2010, has since then been awarded funds from at least one organization on the pretense that she runs a legitimate animal shelter called Raven's Hope.

Robinson now says that she has discontinued efforts to reorganize Raven's Hope.

Robinson received a grant in 2010 from the Pedigree Foundation, a charitable branch of Mars Petcare which distributes grants to hundreds of animal shelters each year. The 2010 grants were distributed in November.

In March, the humane society and the sheriff's department seized more than 150 dogs and cats from Robinson's home. The animals were described as being kept in "deplorable conditions". HSUS issued a press release in March saying the animals were being housed in feces-ridden outdoor pens and inside Robinson's cramped, unsanitary home. HSUS also said a veterinarian found many of the dogs suffered from medical ailments such as skin infections and untreated wounds.

Carcasses of animals taken in by Robinson, who called her home a no-kill animal shelter, were also found in the home, according to a Meridian Star article printed in March.

Neighbors interviewed in March described Robinson as an animal hoarder.

Kemper County Sheriff James Moore said the sheriff's office has received more complaints of dogs on Robinson's property since the March raid. He said no charges have been filed against Robinson since March. The only charge filed in March, one for disorderly conduct, was dropped.

Moore said he plans to wait before deciding whether to take action on the complaints of more dogs at the property. "We'll just see what complaints come in and what we find out from there," he said.

Julie Lawless, a representative of Mars Petcare, said in an e-mail that the more than 1,000 operational grants awarded by the Pedigree Foundation each year are for approximately $600 each. She added that the Pedigree Foundation requires that grant applicants prove their 501(c)3 charity status before being considered for a grant. At the time of the raid on Robinson's home, Raven's Hope was a registered as a 501(c)3 charity with the state of Mississippi.

"We were extremely disappointed to learn the issues connected to the Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary in Kemper County, Mississippi," Lawless said in the e-mail. "When we heard of the situation, we conducted research to learn all the facts in this case. We're currently determining our next steps. If we find that the allegations against Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary are true, we will look to recover the grant money to reallocate the funds to another shelter in need."

Along with proof of 501(c)3 status, Lawless said shelters who receive a grant from the Pedigree Foundation are required to "be in good standing with their operations, provide animals with proper food and water, (house) them in a clean environment, and (provide) proper veterinary care as needed."

"If we find this is not the case, we will end our funding relationship and will not provide funds to this group in the future," Lawless said in the e-mail. "While our grant review process includes a general background check, we continue to identify additional grant application guidelines and processes so we can financially support as many shelters and rescues as possible."

When asked on the phone if reports that she was operating Raven's Hope again and had received a grant were true, Robinson said, "Somebody's feeding you a crock of bullsh*t, okay," and hung up before further questions could be asked.

Robinson immediately called back to say that there are dogs on her property, but claimed that they were "dumped" on her property by an animal rescue group from another town.

Robinson also had accusations for the Kemper County Sheriff's Department, HSUS, and Mississippi Animal Rescue League, claiming that they "terrorized, beat, and injured" the animals taken from her home in March before leaving them in the woods to starve. She accused the sheriff's department of beating the animals with a bull whip, and claimed that some of the animals on her property were taken from the woods after being left there by the groups that removed animals from her home in March.

The next day, Robinson called the Meridian Star again and left a voicemail in which she read a statement that indicated she had attempted to continue operation of Raven's Hope until recently. In part, she said, "Due to health issues, the decision has been made ... to discontinue the reorganization efforts of Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary. All those who have supported Raven's Hope Animal Sanctuary have been notified of this decision over the past several weeks."

Source: meridianstar.com - Jan 16, 2011
Update posted on Feb 17, 2011 - 11:26AM

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References

wlbt.com - Mar 10, 2010
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Over 175 dogs seized from rescue, skeletons foundPreston, MS (US)

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Over 175 dogs seized from rescue, skeletons found
Preston, MS (US)