Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Puppy mill/hoarding - Over 80 dogs seized

Puppy mill/hoarding - Over 80 dogs seized
Homer, MI (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006
County: Calhoun
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Virginia Lawrence

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

Case ID: 7488

Classification: Hoarding, Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (non pit-bull)

View more cases in MI (US)

A Calhoun County woman faces a charge of animal cruelty for allegedly having and breeding between 80 and 100 dogs and not taking care of them. But animal welfare officials feel the case goes beyond the charge. The Humane Society Calhoun Area has taken in more than 50 adult dogs and puppies as part of this case. Because of their aggressive and wild behavior and illnesses, the adult dogs had to be put down.

Owner Virginia Lawrence of Homer says she takes care of her dogs and that the charge is unfounded. She will plead not guilty at her hearing. But according to the complaint, a sheriff deputy called Humane Society volunteers who say they found a different situation. Most of the dogs had worms, some suffered from parvo, a deadly virus, and all had fleas. The Humane Society says this is a classic case of hoarding, where the owner doesn't realize he or she is doing anything wrong, but in turn harms the animals

Case Updates

In the final chapter of animal abuse case in Calhoun County, 75-year-old Virginia Lawrence was sentenced today to one year probation and almost $2,000 in fines.

The Homer resident pleaded no contest to animal neglect in May. She was charged with one count of animal cruelty in February, when animal control officers say up to 100 dogs were found on her property without proper food, shelter or care.

After her sentencing, Lawrence said it was a bogus charge. "She's a productive senior citizen," said defense attorney Roger Caswell. "She's an animal lover. She was raising pets and so forth and she got caught up in the criminal justice system."
As part of her sentence, Lawrence can not have any dogs, except one older one, and must undergo mental health counseling.

More than 80 of the dogs were taken to the Calhoun Area Humane Society. Not all could be saved because of disease or aggressive behavior, but more than 50 have been nursed into good pets.

Source: WWMT - July 12, 2006
Update posted on Jul 13, 2006 - 1:23PM

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Investigators say Virginia Lawrence had nearly 100 dogs at her home in the 22000 block of R Drive South in southwestern Calhoun County. Lawrence, 75, has now pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty. Two other charges - failure to obtain dog licenses and failure to obtain rabies vaccinations - were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The Humane Society-Calhoun Area called it the worst case of animal abuse it has ever seen. After being charged in February 2006, Lawrence turned over more than 50 adult dogs and puppies. Twenty-four adult dogs were euthanized.

Officials said the animals were not socialized and could not have been put up for adoption. Another 24 puppies were confiscated. Most of those died from a variety of illnesses. Lawrence will be sentenced in June 2006 to probation and ordered to pay
$1,000 in restitution to the Humane Society.

Source: MSNBC News - Mary 2006
Update posted on May 21, 2006 - 5:29PM

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A Judge has ordered Lawrence to pay $4,095 for care and treatment of the dogs taken from her property. The total will continue to rise, authorities said. In court papers, Calhoun County sheriff's deputies reported finding dogs who were diseased, infested with fleas, chained to logs or cement blocks and in some cases feeding on other dead dogs and other animals. The dogs did not have water or it was frozen in their bowls.

Source: Battle Creek Enquirer - February 26, 2006
Update posted on Mar 4, 2006 - 10:00PM

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A woman charged with one count of animal cruelty in Calhoun County has been a suspect before. Virginia Lawrence, 74, has records in Barry County and Eaton County, each dealing with caring for more than 20 dogs. Some say Lawrence was in charge of up to 100 dogs. There is a list of charges.

In Barry County, the Sheriff's Department says the first complaint was back in 1989: complaints of noise from barking, dogs running loose and growling at passers by. This complaint was followed by several more. Neighbors wrote letters. Lawrence was cited a number of times. In 1990, for operating a kennel without a license and harboring 20 unlicensed dogs. In 1991, she was cited for having unlicensed dogs, and dogs running at large. She had received a special use license in May of 1990 to run a kennel; that was revoked in December of 1990 because of inadequate or no kennel structure.
Lawrence was told in February of 1991 she could not have more than 3 dogs over the age of six months. But on July 16 and September 18 of that year, animal control found an estimated 40 dogs on the property.

Lawrence�s record in Eaton County begins in 1992 and continues into 1993. She has seven charges for stray dogs, two for no licenses, one for a dog bite, and one animal cruelty charge. Some charges were dismissed; others she pleaded guilty to including animal cruelty. She served five days in jail for that crime.

Neighbors and the man who ended up buying the house say Lawrence let dogs run all over the place, they were aggressive and the house was a "mess." "She had dog chains all over (the yard) where she had them tied. Dogs were running loose all over. There was lice all over. It was pretty bad," says Kevin Fletcher, the home's new owner. "Took us two years to clean it," he added. He says there was feces piled high in the barn and in the mud room. "The house I had to gut, start over," he says.

Animal control in Calhoun County, according to the complaint, has been to Lawrence's home in Homer a number of times for complaints of animal cruelty, unlicensed dogs, and dogs running at large. Animal rescuers in the area say this needs to stop. The animal cruelty charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail plus fines. They would like to see harsher punishments.
Lawrence is fighting the charge. She told News 3 that she has done nothing wrong. Her animals, she claims, were well-fed, well-taken care of and she wants her puppies back. She says the situation is being exaggerated as well as the number of dogs she has. She estimates it around 65, the complaint estimates she has between 80 and 100. Twenty-four adult dogs and 22 puppies were turned over to the Humane Society - Calhoun Area. The adults had to be put down because of illness and aggressive behavior. Some puppies were sick as well. Most will survive. Lawrence bred the dogs for income.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge. At a hearing on February 28, 2006, Lawrence asked for a trial. No date has been set.

Source: WWMT News - February 28, 2006
Update posted on Mar 4, 2006 - 9:57PM

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References

	WWMT News - February 27, 2006
	WOODTV - Feb 28, 2006
	Battlecreek Enquirer - May 13, 2006
	Battlecreek Enquirer - May 17, 2006

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Puppy mill/hoarding - Over 80 dogs seizedHomer, MI (US)

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Puppy mill/hoarding - Over 80 dogs seized
Homer, MI (US)