Twenty-nine Russian Wolfhound dogs and puppies and a woman were held hostage in a house for months by the owner of the dogs, Frank Snodgrass.
A neighbor said the woman of the house broke the glass out of a window and called to her, "Please help me, my husband is holding me hostage."
The neighbor called the police. When the police arrived at the home, responding to what they thought was a domestic dispute, they found several dogs and a smell that was intolerable. The dogs were locked in the house for several months and there were dog feces throughout the home.
Jason Ahalt, Berkeley County Animal Control Official, said it was a gut wrenching sight to see some 20 petrified dogs and puppies pulled from the townhouse. Ahalt said, "Once arriving State Police advised us there were at least 12 dogs in the house, some were vicious and we had to contain the dogs so they could get upstairs to the lady." The officers needed face masks before they could enter the house.
Trooper Burnett of the West Virginia State Police said, "I don't think she was locked in there, but she had a gun in her hands at the time."
The woman was taken to the city hospital. Jim Barnhardt of the Healthy Department said, "It's an absolute wreck. The floor is torn up; the furniture is all broken it's really bad. And I never seen dog feces this bad before."
Frank Snodgrass is facing 29 animal abuse charges. All the Russian Wolfhound dogs and puppies have been turned over to the Berkeley County Animal Warden. It is hoped the wolfhounds will all be adopted. Case UpdatesFrank Snodgrass, 49, was charged with six counts of animal cruelty and sentenced to serve three years in jail, the maximum penalty. But his Leesburg, Va.-attorney, James Campbell, immediately appealed the sentence to a higher court.
In June 2001, Circuit Court Judge David Sanders heard the appeal. Midway through, he acquitted Snodgrass of the charges, saying the prosecutor failed to prove Snodgrass lived in the townhouse with the dogs.
Prosecutor Greg Jones had two of Snodgrass' neighbors waiting outside the courtroom during the trial. They said they would have maintained that Snodgrass did live at the home, but Sanders would not let them take the stand. The judge said Jones told Snodgrass and his attorney about the witnesses just days before, not enough time to prepare a defense.
Snodgrass never served a day in jail and cannot be tried again because new charges would constitute double jeopardy.
An animal cruelty conviction would have prevented Snodgrass from registering a dog with the American Kennel Club. Without the conviction, he can register and own dogs.
Terri Snodgrass, then 48 years old, was hospitalized after the incident. She was not charged and is seeking a divorce from her husband, Campbell recently told Judge Sanders.
About a month before the wolfhounds were found, the Willards saw an ad in the paper for Russian wolfhound puppies. Gillian Willard called and Snodgrass brought two puppies, about 3 to 5 months old, to their home. Snodgrass stayed for several hours, but the couple opted not to buy the pair because the dogs seemed unhealthy and Snodrass wanted $900 for both.
Before Snodgrass took the dogs back, one of them urinated on the Willards' kitchen floor. They said that Snodgrass seemed surprised and said they never did that at home.
But rescue workers said that most of the dogs had probably never been allowed outside.
Katya and Ninotchka have greatly improved during their year with the Willards, the couple said. Although they are still leery of strangers, the pair has adapted to the Willards' other two wolfounds, Tolstoy and Anastasia.
Although the Willards do not know if Katya and Ninotchka are related - because of inbreeding - they are committed to each other. When one goes outside or to the vet, the others howls in distress. And if one of the dogs jumps onto Ron Willard's lap, the other hurries over for equal attention.
Naturally slim, the wolfhounds have reached an average weight. Ron Willard could once clasp his two hands around the dogs' waists. Now they jokingly call Ninotchka, Ninotchka-no-ribs.
After one accident, the dogs house-trained themselves. And they seem content, the Willards said.
"They're happy. They're wagging their tails. They're playing," said Gillian Willard.
Ninotchka bonded with a toy stuffed leopard. She sleeps over the plush toy and often picks up two stuffed teddy bears and carries them around in her mouth. Before bed, she replaces the bears onto the leopard's stomach.
Seeing the dogs blossom makes the Willards angry with Snodgrass. Asked what he would say to the accused abuser if he saw him, Ron Willard's reply was quick and brief.
"It's unprintable," he said.
"I hope he'll never own another dog," said Gillian Willard. "He fell through the cracks because of a legal technicality. This should never have happened. He never should have gotten off."
For now, though, the Willards concentrate on the pleasures they derive from the dogs, instead of the anger they harbor for the person who abused the animals.
They laugh when Katya runs to the refrigerator for an ice cube. They smile when Ninotchka carries her favorite teddy bear and when Katya sits on her favorite hill, content to swivel her head from side to side, as if she's watching a tennis match.
"You know how dogs smile?" asked Gillian. "I think they smile." | Source: Journal-News - June 6, 2001
Update posted on Apr 26, 2006 - 6:24AM |
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