57 animal seized from pet shop
Middlesboro, KY (US)Incident Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011
County: Bell
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Tammy Rummel
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Bell County pet store owner now faces more than fifty counts of animal cruelty. Police said several animals had no water.
The store in Middlesboro was closed days ago. Its alleged owner Tammy Rummell is now facing 57 counts of cruelty to animals.
Animals are still getting cleaned up.
"We felt like the animals were in danger," said Jennifer Nagle, with the Bell County Animal Shelter.
Animal control officials and police started investigating Purrfect Pets in Middlesboro weeks ago. They determined the shop was without electricity for more than a week.
Police were called to Purrfect Pets and found the animals in fair shape but a day or two later returned with an animal shelter representative and removed the animals to the shelter's care on May 26.
"There were dead goldfish laying on tabletops. There was a tank of goldfish where probably half of them were dead," said Nagle.
A variety of animals were taken into custody, ranging from rats, to rabbits, to puppies - 57 animals in all.
"Keeping the animals warm through the winter was hard, our bills doubled, tripled," said Tammy Rummell.
Rummell is facing those charges. She said she is having to close down her London pet shop too because of the economy.
"It will be there again. It will," said Rummell.
Rummell said a worker was taking care of the animals at the Middlesboro store, despite having no electricity.
As for the charges, she is hoping to clear her name.
"I hope I can explain them," said Rummell.
Rummell's landlord in Middlesboro told us she was a great tenant until recently and had apparently fallen on hard times.
Rummell faces cruelty to animals charges in the second degree. Animal control officials said those are misdemeanor charges which carry a fine and up to twelve months in jail. Rummell will be in court June 28th.
Case UpdatesA Laurel County woman facing 57 counts of animal cruelty charges pleads guilty to just one of them.
Tammy Rummell entered the plea in Bell County District Court Monday.
As part of her sentence, Rummell will serve 90 days probation and is not allowed to have animals in Bell County for two years.
Purrfect Pets in Middlesboro was closed this summer after authorities found a variety of animals in the store without air conditioning or water.
Animal control officials determined the shop had been without electricity for a week.
Rummell also had a pet shop open in London this summer.
She said she had plans to close it. | Source: wkyt.com - Nov 22, 2011
Update posted on Nov 24, 2011 - 12:50PM |
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