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Animal shelter raided, 75 animals seized
Wilburton, OK (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Jun 25, 2011
County: Latimer
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 6 files available
Alleged:
» Shane Adam Duhon
» Anne Marie Duhon
Upcoming Court Dates:
» Tuesday, Sep 4, 2012: Jury trial
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
A husband and wife who ran a Wilburton animal rescue were arrested and their three children taken by the state after authorities raided the Cajun Country Animal Rescue Ranch.
Anne and Shane Duhon were taken into custody on complaints of animal cruelty by Latimer County Sheriff's deputies, and over 75 animals have been taken from the property.
"I've been in law enforcement for ten years and I've never seen anything that bad," said Latimer County Sheriff Robbert Brooks.
The 15-acre Cajun Country Ranch was supposed to be a haven for animals, but the sheriff says it was the complete opposite.
"It was kinda like a horror movie with all the animals there. You could see the bones, see the ribs, see the backbones," he said.
After warning the ranch owners several times to clean up their operation, the sheriff says his office seized 79 animals from the property, mostly dogs, cats and horses.
The animals were reportedly severely malnourished and weren't getting any veterinary care. Investigators couldn't even catch all the dogs.
Walking around the property, we spotted dozens of animal bones and skeletons, some piled up in make-shift graves.
Inside the owner's trailer, investigators found an 8, 11 and 14-year-old.
"Animal feces on the bed, on the children's bed, dogs in the trailer house, feces covering the floor, cockroaches covering the floor," Brooks said.
The children had to be treated for tick, flea and other insect bites.
Anne Duhon did comment on her Facebook page about the allegations, writing "I have given the animals everything and I am willing to go to jail for them."
"Being humanely euthanized would be better than what they were going through," said Caryn Hass-Bearden of PAWS, an animal rescue group.
Hass-Bearden is helping investigators and she wants strict punishment for the Duhons.
"What my wish is that they would be stuck in a pin like they had all those animals with no food or water," she said.
The Duhon's three kids are in DHS custody and Latimer County is trying to figure out where the 79 animals they seized go from here.
Deputies are also looking into the ranch's non-profit status and whether the Duhon's violated that by accepting donations that weren't used for the animals.
William Brogden, Executive Director of The Oklahoma Board of Commercial Pet Breeders, assisted in the raid, the sheriff said.
Case Updates| Mr and Mrs. Duhon were released on their own recognizance on Oct 26, 2011 and the case went before the judge for the sounding docket on January 25, 2012. Due to the prosecution not turning over exculpatory evidence the case has been continued til the Sept trial docket. The jury trial is currently scheduled for 8AM on September 4, 2012. | Source: STATE OF OKLAHOMA vs. DUHON, ANNE MARIE - #CF-2011-00100
Update posted on Jan 26, 2012 - 1:34PM |
The Tulsa SPCA shelter is at capacity Thursday night because of a recent rescue.
More than 70 animals were seized after a hoarding situation in Latimer County, about a third are in Tulsa.
24 dogs and five cats have been treated at the shelter for about a week.
One of the cats died Tuesday.
Shane and Anne Marie Duhon are in custody in Latimer County. They face animal cruelty charges along with child neglect, because the conditions at their ranch were so terrible.
"You open the door and the cockroaches just scattered everywhere, flies were hoping around, and feces all over the floor," said associate director of the Tulsa SPCA, Lori Hall.
Along with more than 90 animals, the Duhons and their three children were living at Cajun Country Animal Rescue Ranch near Wilburton.
"It was a non-profit organization, they got their status for non-profit they were doing rescues, but it turned into a hoarding situation," said Hall.
The Duhon children were taken into DHS custody.
The animals in the worst condition were brought to the Tulsa SPCA for immediate care.
Suffering from heartworms, malnutrition, dehydration and skin disorders
"We've medicated to get rid of fleas, when we put the flea medication on the next morning their blankets were just covered with fleas," said Hall.
This weekend the Tulsa SPCA will hold an adopt-a-thon.
"They've had a long enough life in despair and they need a good home," said Hall.
Officials with the SPCA are also hoping more folks will volunteer to become "fosters."
"We provide them with the food the vet care, everything, they just have to open their home," said Hall.
The fostered dogs and cats will still eventually be adopted but the program helps both the shelter with space and improve the pets lives.
"It helps them adjust better, some dogs they don't know what a home environment is like," said "foster" Nittana McCause.
"Hopefully with the plea of the fosters and then having the adopt-a-thon this weekend we can open up some more room to save some lives," said Hall.
The SPCA wants to bring 30 more dogs from the hoarding situation to Tulsa for care.
They are currently at an animal shelter in Wilburton.
All of the rescued animals will be available at a discounted adoption rate this weekend.
For information about the animals for adoption or how to become a "foster" you can head to the Source: kjrh.com - Jul 6, 2011
Update posted on Jul 10, 2011 - 1:36PM |
The owners of nearly 80 animals seized last month by the Latimer County Sheriff's Office on cruelty complaints have surrendered the animals to the county.
Anne and Shane Duhon signed the relinquish papers Tuesday afternoon at the Latimer County courthouse.
The sheriff's office seized the animals from the Cajun Country Ranch in Wilburton, where the couple lives with their children.
The county was charging the Duhons $4.00 per day to hold each animal for the 90-day period. The Duhons chose to give the animals up rather than pay the nearly $30,000 fee.
The animals, which include dogs, horses, cats, rabbits and a duck, will eventually be placed up for adoption.
Anne and Shane Duhon are being held on $30,000 bond.
Their children are in state custody after Latimer County Sheriff Robbie Brooks said they were found in deplorable living conditions at the Cajun Country Ranch. | Source: newson6.com - Jul 05, 2011
Update posted on Jul 10, 2011 - 1:34PM |
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