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Case ID: 18302
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: cat, dog (non pit-bull)
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21 cats and kittens, 1 dog seized from trash piled home
Washington Court House, OH (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 27, 2011
County: Fayette

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged:
» Ron Miller
» Karen Miller

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Humane agents say a brother and a sister are accused of hoarding sick animals in Washington Court House.

Animal-abuse investigators responded to a home in the 630 block of South Fayette Street in Washington Court House Wednesday.

Agents told NBC4 they discovered dozens of animals living in their own filth as well as piles of trash stacked almost up to the ceiling.

"The smell about knocked you out. Your eyes immediately started to burn. Your lungs burned. It smelled very much like ammonia," said Humane Agent Danyel Bageant.

Inside the home, rescuers found a dog and 21 cats.

The cats were stuffed into tiny carriers, forced to live in their own urine and feces.

It was a sad example of how good intentions often turn into case of animal hoarding.

Bageant said it's probably the county's worst case to date.

"They did not have proper litter boxes nor food and water. They did have some food that they tossed in on a daily basis," said Bageant.

Ron Miller, 42, and Karen Miller, 35, face charges of animal cruelty and obstruction of justice.

The brother and sister have lived in the South Fayette Street home for 10 years.

At one time, they had 15 cats, but a neighbor gave them kittens to sell.

Ron and Karen dispute the society's allegations.

"I watch that show, 'Hoarders' and stuff. It's not that bad as they show on that show," Karen said.

All the cats are infested with fleas and need medical attention.

At least three female cats are pregnant.

Others are so feral the society told NBC4 they must be euthanized.

It's a rescue that could cost thousand of dollars.

"We could use monetary donations, cat litter and cat food. Every little bit helps," said Bageant.


Case Updates

Two Washington C.H. residents were charged this week with 10 counts of animal cruelty each stemming from a July 27 incident.

Ronald Miller, 43, and Karen Miller, 35, were served with the court summons on Monday at their home, 632 S. Fayette St. On July 27, the Fayette County Humane Society found 21 cats and one dog living in what Humane Society officials described as "horrific, deplorable conditions."

The animals were removed from the scene and the home was condemned by the Health Department.

However, since that time, both Ronald and Karen, who are brother and sister, have made a concerted effort to clean up the home and prove that they can be responsible pet owners, according to Danyel Bageant of the Humane Society. The house is no longer condemned.

"We revisited the home since that time and they have totally turned it around," Bageant said. "They are good people at heart and they've done a wonderful job cleaning up. Sometimes people just get overwhelmed but we really appreciate them trying to make amends. We will talk to the judge to see if maybe we can allow them to keep one cat and one dog....something that would be manageable for them."

In June, the dog was taken to the Fayette County Dog Pound and 21 cats were taken to the Humane Society Office for evaluation. A few of the cats had to be euthanized because of the condition they were in, Bageant said.

The surviving animals were put up for adoption. To contact the Source: recordherald.com - Sep 14, 2011
Update posted on Sep 14, 2011 - 10:04PM 

References

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