1 pig, 7 sheep discovered dead on farm
Angola, IN (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Mar 23, 2006
County: Steuben
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Michael S. Nichols
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Several farm animals were found dead Thursday and nearly a dozen others had to be euthanized because they had been so badly neglected, the Steuben County Sheriff's Department said Friday.
Charges are pending against a Noble County man who is believed responsible for the condition of the animals and will be filed early next week, police said. Steuben County sheriff's deputy Adam Miller said he was sent at 3 p.m. March 23, 2006 to a farm at County Road 800 North 600 West, near Angola, on an anonymous report of animal neglect. Miller said he approached an old barn on the property and from the doorway could see a goat on the ground. The animal appeared dead, he said.
Upon entering the barn, Miller saw numerous other animals also were dead, including a pig and seven sheep. A cow had to be euthanized later. A veterinarian also euthanized three sheep, five pigs and a goat. The animals' carcasses were then disposed of, police said.
Miller said the family that owns the property rents out the barn, and police do not consider them responsible for the neglect. The Steuben County Humane Society and the Indiana State Veterinarian's Office assisted the sheriff's department.
Case UpdatesCharges were filed on March 29 in Steuben County against the owner of seven sheep found dead at a farm near Angola last week.
Michael S. Nichols, 55, of the 2000 block of Mapes Road in Kendallville, was charged with two counts of failure to dispose of a dead animal, a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
Adam Miller, a deputy with the Steuben County Sheriff's department was sent to a farm at County Road 1800 North 600 West on an anonymous report of animal neglect March 23.
He found seven dead sheep or lambs and several dead chickens.
The property is owned by Leroy German, but his son, Larry German, told police he takes care of the farm because his father is in a nursing home.
Nichols rents space in the barn and owns the sheep, pigs, goats and the calf that are housed there, Larry German told police. The chickens, ducks, and turkeys that were housed there – including the dead chickens – are owned by local resident Rodney Wolschleger, Larry German told police.
According to court documents, when Miller walked into the barn March 23 he first saw what he thought was a dead goat or sheep on the floor of the open barn. He then saw a second dead sheep near a pen of living chickens, ducks and turkeys, court documents said.
While he was looking around for food and water kept there for the animals, Miller opened what he thought was a food bag and found several dead chickens. He also saw two dead lambs near the bag, court documents said.
Inside another pen – holding about 45 sheep, two goats and about 15 pigs – a pig was eating a dead sheep. Outside the barn, Miller found another dead sheep and a dead lamb, court documents said.
Nichols told Miller during an interview that he feeds his animals every night and said he knew about the dead sheep on the property, documents said. Nichols told Miller he has been using the barn for about two or three weeks.
Wolschleger, the owner of the dead chickens, told Miller he was planning to dispose of them the day Miller interviewed him. Wolschleger said Nichols told him he was going to take care of his dead sheep March 19.
It was unclear Wednesday whether additional charges are expected to be filed. | Source: The Journal Gazette - March 30, 2006
Update posted on Mar 31, 2006 - 9:25AM |
References
« More cases in Steuben County, IN
|
