Hoarding - over 80 dogs, 38 cats, dead animals Church Hill, TN (US) Incident Date: Monday, Dec 20, 1999 County: Hawkins Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Wanda Marie Morgan

Case ID: 6775 Classification: Hoarding, Neglect / Abandonment View more cases in TN (US) Login to Watch this Case

In December of 1999, officials visited the property belonging to Wanda Marie Morgan as a followup to being previously warned to improve conditions for the animals on her property. "Since steel gates and no trespassing signs had been erected, I was confined to the road where I could see that, by the looks of things, the situation seemed to be the same, if not worse," he said.

On December 20, 1999, according to Hawkins County Humane Society Director Collins, she, co-worker Gary Collins and Sheriff�s Deputy David Rogers made a trip to the site and found 61 dogs that were in various forms of confinement, 19 more running loose and an undetermined amount confined inside the house; 38 cats; dead dogs in cages, several sick animals, two of which were in extremely poor condition; all age groups were housed together in some cases; and "extreme filth in the entire area." They determined that the area posed a "giant health threat to man and animals." Bundy found the condition of the farm deplorable saying, "I liken it to the Holocaust under which the Jews suffered during World War II."

"These conditions are ripe for hosting every kind of fungus, bacteria, virus and many other things harmful to man as well as these animals," he added. "These animals have no quality of life, not even from an animal�s viewpoint. Some of the animals are too sick to live much longer while others will become sick and die soon." He also said that some of the dogs and cats seemed to suffer from a lack of attention and depression, while others had open sores, wounds and bad eyes. Collins photographed the animals for documentation, saying, "I had to emotionally remove myself from the situation so that I could take the pictures." Bundy researched the time, care and costs involved to adequately upkeep this volume of animals and determined that it would cost $7,929.64 per year and require 7.9 man hours a day to sustain a healthy level of existence.

He said that these animals are below this, "which means that they are sustained at a level in which they can exist, and not at a level in which they can grow and put on weight and thrive."
It is his recommendation that the animals immediately be seized by the Humane Society.
He went as far as to say that, "If all these animals had to be euthanized it would be far more humane than allowing them to exist under their present conditions." Bundy advises that the site be disinfected, covered with lime and back filled with fresh soil. He also added that the farm should be visited frequently to ensure that no further animals ever be confined there and that surrounding counties be advised of Morgan�s practices. Collins said that she concurs, calling Morgan a "collector and hoarder of animals," and said that possibly was the reason she housed the animals in such a manner.

If an arrest is made and the Humane Society is able to seize the animals, Collins said that other animal shelters in the area would likely be called to assist in treating the animals due to the massive quantity. She said that in numerous cases, the animals will have to be euthanized because their state of health is beyond medical attention. Cruelty to animals is a class A misdemeanor in Hawkins County and, according to Assistant District Attorney Michelle Greene, Morgan, if convicted, could face a maximum of 11 months and 29 days in prison and a possible fine. In addition, the court would order her to surrender the animals and could prevent her from having future custody of an animal for a period of time deemed reasonable by the court, with the possibility that she may never be allowed to own an animal again. Green added that a person found guilty of cruelty to animals may be tried separately for each individual animal.

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References

The Rogersville Review - January 25, 2000

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