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Case ID: 17552
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
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Case #17552 Rating: 4.3 out of 5



Extreme neglect, three dogs found dead
Faber, VA (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Mar 14, 2011
County: Nelson

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Bruce Pfeifer
» Robin Kitts Pfeifer

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Officials say it is a case of extreme animal cruelty and neglect. Three dogs found dead on a property in Nelson County; nine others living in absolute filth.

Nelson County officials say Bruce and Robin Phifer called the SPCA in an attempt to get placement for three puppies. When a member arrived, she called Animal Control immediately.

"It was a horrific sight. There was feces inside the house that was anywhere from two to three inches thick," Emergency Services Coordinator and Animal Control Supervisor Ray Uttaro said.

We traveled to the house on Rockfish Valley Highway in Nelson County.

"It looks like they obviously weren't taking care of their animals," Uttaro said.

Uttaro has been the Emergency Services Coordinator for the past eight years and says this is one of the worst cases he has seen. Nine dogs were seized from the property Monday.

"Because of our health, I wore an air pack to go inside the house to retrieve the animals. The smell was that horrific," Uttaro said. "We also found bags with canine, looked like skulls, that were tied to trees."

Uttaro says there was no food in or outside of the home, and that the dogs were emaciated and unkempt. Three of the dogs had died. Uttaro says the owners placed blankets on top of them. He says it is clear; these dogs were neglected.

"It appears nobody was living in the house except for the animals," Uttaro said.

The news was enough to rattle residents.

"It's just a pretty weird situation. Not something that we're used to here," Don Cowherd said.

"It's sad. You never know what's going on in your county," Alice Rose said.

"Animal cruelty is definitely something that needs to be taken care of. And needs to be more attentive around here," Rachael Mays said.

Animal Control says charges against the Phifers are expected soon; most likely Wednesday. As for the living dogs, all nine are in a local shelter in Nelson County.


Case Updates

A woman formerly of Afton was convicted Wednesday on 19 misdemeanor charges in connection with having dead and emaciated dogs at a home on Virginia 151.

Robin Kitts Pfeifer, 57, was banned from ever owning animals after Nelson County General District Court Judge Joseph Serkes found her guilty on five counts of animal cruelty, five counts of improper care of a companion animal and nine counts of failure to bury or cremate animal remains.

"I don't know if she's an animal lover or an animal hoarder," Serkes said in court on Wednesday. "She has a responsibility to see that her animals are protected and they're not. I think you're guilty of everything you've been charged."

Serkes ordered Pfeifer to pay more than $3,500 in restitution and fines and suspended her sentence of 12 months in jail.

If Pfeifer failed to pay the fines, however, Serkes said he would reinstate the jail time. She was ordered to appear in Nelson County General District Court again in October to review the fines.

Pfeifer was charged in March after Nelson County Animal Control officers found 10 live dogs, three dead dogs and plastic bags filled with canine bones and body parts at the residence Pfeifer and her husband, Bruce Pfeifer, own at 5282 Rockfish Valley Highway.

Bruce Pfeifer, 56, is also charged with nine counts of failure to bury or cremate animal remains and 10 counts of animal cruelty. He is still at large and has not been arrested. If you know where Mr. Pfeifer is, call the Nelson County Sheriff's Office at 434-263-7050.

During the trial, Nelson County Animal Control Officer Carla Thompson said Pfeifer had called the animal control office in early March to ask for help surrendering and transporting the dogs from the Afton residence.

Thompson said Pfeifer had stated her husband had abandoned her and she could not continue to care for that many dogs alone. Thompson directed Pfeifer to the local SPCA chapter and said the county animal control was at capacity but they could help out in a few days.

According to search warrants filed in Nelson County Circuit Court, Thompson received a tip after her conversation with Pfeifer about dead animals at Pfeifer's residence, which prompted the investigation.

Thompson said when she was on the property executing the search warrant on March 14, she observed several dead dogs. She said she also saw plastic bags hung in trees on the property.

"There were assorted canine bones in these bags," she said. "After opening each one, I discovered three canine skulls and body parts."

Thompson said a total of nine canine skulls were found on the property.

Inside the residence, animal control officers found five live dogs: a three-legged male named Jake, a female named Holly and three puppies, Sophie, Amber and Rocket.

Thompson said she did not enter the residence but from the front door, she could see the entryway, which was covered in feces and urine, two to four inches thick.

Karen Holm, a veterinarian at Lovingston Veterinary Hospital where the dogs were treated, testified the dogs seized during the search warrant were in "fair to poor body condition."

Holm said all of the dogs had parasites, one had a dislocated hip and others had facial injuries.

Pfeifer testified that she and her husband were living in the home until 2009, when they moved into a camper on the property because of a faulty septic system. The couple then moved to a motel near Waynesboro and had been living there for more than a year. She said the dogs stayed at the residence, where her husband was supposed to be taking care of them.

Pfeifer said her husband traveled between Waynesboro and Charlottesville for work and would stop at the residence to take care of the dogs. She said because of the smell and contamination from the broken septic system she could not enter the residence.

After her husband went missing, Pfeifer said she began going to the house to care for the dogs and would put a scarf over her face to enter the home.

"I realized I would have difficulty caring for all those dogs because I was by myself," she said.

Serkes asked Pfeifer why she didn't get help from neighbors or friends burying the dead dogs.

"I have the impression that a lot of things didn't occur to you. That's why we're in the situation we are in," he said. "This is a case where I would put you in jail for what you've done because it's inhumane. It's horrible. But I don't think jail is the right place for you."

Serkes said as long as he was sitting as a judge in Nelson County, Pfeifer would never own another dog.

Ray Uttaro, head of Nelson County Animal Control, said he was "very pleased" with the outcome of the trial.

"I'm very proud of our animal control officers. These animals have been through enough and they don't need to go through any more."

Uttaro said the animal control office will be working with the local SPCA chapters to place each of the dogs in homes within the next few weeks.
Source: wsls.com - Apr 27, 2011
Update posted on Apr 27, 2011 - 7:58PM 
Fifty-six-year-old Robin Pfeifer, one of two people charged with animal cruelty in Nelson County, was released Wednesday on $5,000 unsecured bond.

She was arrested after turning herself in March 16. A trial has been set for April 6.

Pfeifer and her husband, 56-year-old Bruce Pfeifer, have been charged with ten misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and nine misdemeanor accounts of failure to bury or cremate animal remains.

These charges were filed after three dead dogs, several bags of canine skeletons and deplorable living conditions were found at their home on Rockfish Valley Highway in Nelson County.

Police continue to search for Bruce, who was reported missing by his wife in early March.

Nine dogs were taken from the house alive and continue to be nursed back to good health by animal control and the Lovingston Veterinary Hospital.
Source: whsv.com - Mar 23, 2011
Update posted on Mar 24, 2011 - 9:33AM 
A couple formerly of Afton was charged with animal cruelty Wednesday, two days after investigators found dead and emaciated dogs, and canine body parts, at a home on Virginia 151.

Robin Kitts Pfeifer, 56, was arrested Wednesday and charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and nine misdemeanor accounts of failure to bury or cremate animal remains.

Bruce Pfeifer, 56, was also charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and nine misdemeanor counts of failure to bury or cremate animal remains.

Public safety director Ray Uttaro said investigators did not know where Bruce Pfeifer is and that the warrants have been turned over to the Nelson County Sheriff's Office.

The Pfeifers' last known address was 5282 Rockfish Valley Highway, where the dogs were found, but the couple was not living there when the search warrants were issued Monday.

Uttaro said anyone with information regarding Bruce Pfeifer's whereabouts should contact the Nelson County Sheriff's Office.

According to the search warrants filed in Nelson County Circuit Court on Monday, Nelson County Animal Control officer Carla Thompson received a tip from an employee at the Nelson County Humane Society about dead animals at the residence along Va. 151, which prompted the investigation.

In the search warrant, Thompson said there was a "foul odor" around the property and that she observed several emaciated dogs running loose on the property.
Source: newsvirginian.com - Mar 16, 2011
Update posted on Mar 16, 2011 - 9:05PM 

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