60 starving dogs and other animals
Boone, CO (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jan 6, 2012
County: Pueblo
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Valarie Christine Harris
A Pueblo County woman has been charged with cruelty to animals for the third time after authorities seized more than 60 starving and emaciated animals from her home.
The animals included 30 horses - three of which were deceased - 31 dogs, donkeys, mules, a cat and a llama, according to Pueblo Animal Services, the animal shelter serving the Colorado Springs and Pueblo area.
Joe Stafford, director of animal law enforcement for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, said police and humane society staff found "deplorable conditions that were among the worst I have ever seen" when they went to the home in Boone on Friday.
"There were starving and emaciated animals scattered throughout the property living in unimaginable circumstances," Stafford said.
Valarie Christine Harris, 55, was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. She is being held on $75,000 bond, according to court records.
Harris was first arrested and charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty in 2007, after 19 horses were seized from the same property east of Pueblo. She was convicted on two counts and sentenced to probation.
In 2009, Harris was charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals for having two neglected dogs. She was later convicted a misdemeanor.
The animals seized Friday were taken into protective custody and are being treated by Pueblo Animal Services. The shelter estimates it will cost about $20,000 over the next several months to treat them.
Anyone wishing to donate to the shelter to help in the animals' recovery may give online at « CO State Animal Cruelty Map
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