65 animals seized
Glenville, WV (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011
County: Gilmer
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 6 files available
Alleged:
» Kenny Greenleaf
» Larry Rex Wallbrown, II
» Diana Wallbrown
» Sara Greenleaf
» Savannha Wallbrown
"We've been warning people and warning people," says Gilmer County Chief Deputy Larry Gerwig. Warning people about the consequences of not taking care of their animals. He says ignoring their warning is what led to the arrest of five people in Gilmer county Friday morning.
"We're gonna start cracking down on people who are not taking care of their animals," he says.
In their most recent case, officers say they seized about 65 abused animals. The criminal complaint lists that they seized at least six horses, 11 dogs, two rabbits, 23 chickens, and one cockatoo. They say there were a number of other animals that they couldn't catch at the time, but have since been able to rescue, including ducks and guinea.
"Cases this extreme are few and far between. There are a lot of abuse cases around on animals or cruelty to animals but ones of this nature, we rarely see," says Deputy Cason Jones who works for the Gilmer County Sheriff's Department.
When they do see a case like these alleged cases, officers say the images are disturbing and it's unfair to the animals. "No animal should be tied up for numerous days with out food or water," says Deputy Jones.
Chief Deputy Gerwig agrees,"The animals have a right to be fed, taken care of, same as anybody else does. If you can't afford an animal then give it somebody who can take care of it."
If you do leave an animal tied up with out food or water you could face criminal charges. Although it's a misdemeanor charge there are fines and possibly jail time.
Even though officers say it's not a huge problem in the are, when they do find abused animals, they take it very seriously and encourage you to help out.
"Gilmer County people take care of their animals for the most part the ones that don't, we're gonna help them if we can. If they don't want help and they don't want to take our warnings then we're gonna seize their animals," says Chief Deputy Gerwig.
Deputy Jones adds that "this (animal cruelty) will not be tolerated in Gilmer County."
The individuals arrested were:
Kenny Greenleaf
Larry Rex Wallbrown II
Diana Wallbrown
Sara Greenleaf
Savannha Wallbrown
All five have each been charged with 13 counts of Cruelty to Animals, and 13 counts of Littering > 500lbs. References« Back to Search Results
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