Grace Harris Whaley, 58, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to ill treatment of fifty-three dogs and nine cats that were living in unsanitary conditions inside her Belvedere home located on the 500 block of Audubon Circle.
Judge Roger Edmonds, the Aiken County Magistrate, said he would suspend any sentence if she agreed to collect no more strays and let the volunteers clean her house.
The carpeting and furniture is rotted away from animal excrement. There are fleas, cockroaches and feces throughout the home. Authorities say everything must be hauled to the landfill.
There are several people, church groups, county agencies and the United Way are saying they will help the woman. Jury Pest Control Services has agreed to begin by exterminating the bugs.
The heater, air conditioner doesn't work and all the toilets are broken. The officials said the handicapped woman used a 5-gallon bucket as a bathroom.
Judge Edmonds said, "This is one of the worst situations inside a house that I have seen."
Grace Whaley must return to court within 60 days for the judge to review the cleanup effort. Judge Edmonds is expected to waive all fines and suspend the sentence.
All but seven of the dogs and one cat have been euthanized because of disease. It is likely the others will be killed because of poor health. Ms Whaley underwent a mental evaluation last week and the doctors said she was all right. Whaley will be required to live somewheres else while the house is being cleaned. Case UpdatesGrace Harris Whaley, 58, might be placed in jail because she tried to get an 83-year old woman to sneak her a dog from the animal shelter.
Whaley could again face Magistrate Judge Roger Edmonds as early as next week and asked to explain why she asked a friend to get her a Pekingese dog from the shelter. Whaley kept 53 dogs and 9 cats in unsanitary conditions at her home.
Whaley could face 90 days in jail or a $672 fine if Judge Edmonds decides she willfully violated his repeated orders not to have any pets. The judge said last month he would hand down his sentence after volunteers helped clean her feces-ridden home. Shirley Harden, an animal control officers, said she found Whaley standing on a dirt pile near the Aiken shelter on June 27, waiting for her friend, Ruby Artrip, to get her a Pekingese dog from the pound.
Ms Harden said, "This is proof she will do it again. These are the kind of people you can't help."
Ms Harden said Ms Artrip confirmed dropping off Ms Whaley on Gun Range Road and getting the dog because her friend wanted it. Whaley was not charged in the incident but the animal control officials called the Aiken County Sheriff's office to write an incident report which will be presented to Judge Edmonds. | Source: The Augusta GA Chronicle - July 12, 2002
Update posted on Mar 4, 2006 - 10:06AM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References | The Augusta GA Chronicle - June 27, 2002 |
« GA State Animal Cruelty Map
|
