76 animals seized from home
Greenville, NC (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Jul 11, 2011
County: Pitt

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Catherine Campbell

Authorities on Tuesday served a woman with 21 warrants on charges of animal cruelty and neglect following the July 11 rescue of 76 animals from her Pitt County home.

Catherine Campbell, 40, of 109 N.C. 903 North is scheduled to appear in District Court on Sept. 22, said Michele R. Whaley, director of Pitt County Animal Control. Campbell was released from custody on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Acting on an anonymous tip, Whaley had to muster assistance from the Humane Society of the United States and other area shelters to find temporary boarding for the dogs, cats and a rabbit.

Whaley said she suspects that Campbell received many of the animals from shelters in different parts of the state and possibly other states.

"This woman believed she was a rescuer because she was taking dogs and cats home from shelters," Whaley said at the time of the rescue. "She did not want them taken from her, thinking they were better off with her than in a shelter."

A variety of dog breeds were discovered tethered on chains to trees, the chains wrapped around tree trunks, Whaley said. They lived with with no water and no shelter from the sun and in poor sanitary conditions. Many of the animals were kept in cages that were too small for them. Many of the dogs had to be euthanized.

Cathy Campbell's home housed 15 dogs, 16 wolf hybrids and three cats who had to be euthanized due to medical conditions.

Pitt County Animal Control director Michele Whaley told Nine on Your Side the animals were not in the best conditions. Many of them were very dehydrated, had severe tick and flea infestation and some of them had mange and other different medical conditions.

Whaley's office had intervened with Campbell in 2010, when the woman had about 30 animals. Two officers worked with her to bring standards of care up to an acceptable and legal level, Whaley said.

When Whaley received another complaint, she dispatched an officer familiar with the case just before the July Fourth weekend. He reported conditions were worse than last year.

The

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