209 dogs and puppies removed from facility
Amboy, IL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Dec 19, 2003
County: Lee
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available
Alleged: Thorunn Anne McCoy
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of T. Anne McCoy of Amboy, Illinois on 12 counts of cruelty to animals. 209 dogs and puppies were found malnourished and abandoned in their cages. T.Anne McCoy, allegedly, did not provide humane treatment for approximately 209 companion animals she owned or was a companion animal boarder for.
Nine of the dogs were reportedly dead and autopsies discovered the dogs were emaciated, had worms and there was no evidence of food in the stomach contests - only sand and dirt.
Authorities removed them all from a facility Thursday evening in Amboy, Ill., about 100 miles west of Chicago, after the animals were discovered.
The live animals have been impounded and most have been taken to shelters
Case Updates| T. Anne McCoy appeared in Lee County court for a pre-trial hearing Thursday morning. Mccoy is charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals a class four felony. Her case has been continued until the morning of February 4. | | Update posted on Jan 14, 2005 - 4:26AM |
Thursday, December 25, 2003
The Chicago Ridge Animal Welfare League has found homes for 76 dogs rescued from a puppy mill last week, officials said.
Another 111 are still waiting for a judge's order that will allow them to be adopted as well.
The 187 animals - Great Danes, German shepherds, Belgian sheepdogs, Malinoises and Japanese Chins - were rescued Dec. 17 from a trailer home in rural Lee County.
"It felt wonderful to know that they were out of that trailer and now in good homes," said the assistant supervisor at the shelter. "It was unbelievable. In the past few years I have been working here, I have never seen that many people in our facility at once to adopt our animals."
The Lee County state's attorney's office has filed charges against the breeder, T. Anne McCoy of Amboy, about 30 miles southeast of Dixon. She faces 12 counts of cruelty to animals.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture recommended charges be filed after seeing the "deplorable" conditions the dogs were being kept in. McCoy had 140 dogs living outside her trailer home in cages and 60 inside the trailer.
The shelter is eager to see the 111 dogs adopted but must wait until the order impounding the animals is lifted by a judge. McCoy wants the dogs returned and has requested an administrative hearing from the agriculture department.
The 76 dogs that have been adopted were voluntarily given up by the breeder, he said. "That was an emergency actions taken by the department because we deemed the conditions to be life-threatening," Squibb said.
The department is working with the state's attorney's office on a forfeiture petition that would ask a judge to force McCoy to forfeit ownership of the other dogs, he said. The department also wants the judge to impose reasonable charges on the woman to cover the cost of boarding and medical care for the animals for the next 30 days.
"If the judge grants that, she would have five days to post that amount or forfeit the dogs," Squibb said.
Once the impound order is lifted, the shelter will attempt to find homes for the other dogs, either through rescues or adoptions. | | Update posted on Dec 25, 2003 - 11:50PM |
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